BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Thailand's Appeals Court upheld a two-year jail sentence Thursday in a defamation case against former Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, who was recently forced to resign for violating the constitution.
Samak, who rose to his feet for the verdict, was stunned by the court's decision and lost his balance. Two court aides caught his arms to prevent him from falling.
The court said it saw no reason to suspend the jail term handed down last year by the Criminal Court, which convicted Samak of defaming a former deputy mayor of Bangkok during a television talk show in January 2006.
Defense attorney Prachum Thongmee said Samak would appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
The Criminal Court verdict was in April 2007 and the sentence was on appeal when Samak became prime minister early this year. Samak, known for his sharp tongue, had been convicted three other times for defamation and given suspended sentences.
This time, the Appeals Court said it wanted to teach him a lesson.
"The defendant has repeatedly defamed others with groundless, damaging information," the court said in its decision Thursday, read out by a judge. "The courts have given the defendant chances to reform and change his behavior but the defendant has not changed. So there is no reason to reduce the punishment."
Comment : Samak and Dusit, political commentator dual, they 're in duty of mass communication, they aren't a politician, I don't understand, I have just found out that Its guilty. Before that, Sonthi Limthongkul the master of people 's alliance for democracy who has been hit in same accusation for many case, but he didn't found guilty, Thai Juctice had been verdicted that he was a Journalist who did his work by duty. Why ? Sonthi could do that but Samak couldn't. Sonthi is a untouchable man, isn't it?
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