Tarit acquitted of defamation charges

Tarit acquitted of defamation charges



BANGKOK: -- The Appeals Court on Tuesday upheld the acquittal of former Department of Special Investigation chief Tarit Pengdit of criminal defamation charges lodged against him by former deputy prime minister Suthep Thuagsuban.

Then former deputy prime minister Suthep charged that, during January-February 2013, Mr Tarit, then DSI chief, gave a press conference accusing Mr Suthep of ordering the National Police Office to scrap contracts with several contractors for the construction of 396 police stations but to employ one contractor, PCC Development and Construction Company, to build all the stations.

It turned out later on that the contractor could not build the police stations within the deadline.

The Appeals Court ruled that Mr Tarit’s statements during the press conference were an honest expression of opinion based on the evidences available. Also, the statements were an updated summation of the police station controversy.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/162000


-- Thai PBS 2016-05-04