APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL
Chaiya: Will be more
careful in future |
Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsab was found guilty of contempt of court and fined 25,000 baht by the Administrative Court yesterday.
The court also issued warnings to three newspapers _ Manager Daily, Matichon and Post Today _ which published the minister's criticism of the court's order reinstating the chairman and five-member board of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO).
Mr Chaiya had recommended the board's dismissal, and the cabinet approved their removal.
Former chairman Vichai Chokewiwat and the other board members had petitioned the court to overturn the cabinet's ''unfair'' decision.
In its verdict yesterday the court said Mr Chaiya's comment published on June 26 questioning the judges' qualifications was ''not academically sound''. He was initially fined the maximum of 50,000 baht under article 65 of the Administrative Court Establishment Act.
The court halved the fine because Mr Chaiya confessed during the hearing to making the comment and apologised.
The minister appeared cheered by the verdict, smiling and laughing with people who had come to support him, including senior health officials such as permanent secretary Prat Boonyawongwirote, his deputy Siriporn Kanchana and Medical Services Department director-general Raywat Wisruthvej.
Mr Chaiya went to pay the fine before leaving the court.
He said he was grateful to the court and that he would be more careful giving interviews in future to avoid any legal problems.
The minister said he would talk with his lawyers about appealing to the Supreme Administrative Court over the GPO board verdict.
The minister is also on trial in the Constitution Court for failing to properly declare his wife's assets when appointed to the cabinet. The verdict is due tomorrow. Mr Chaiya said he would not go to the court to hear it, but would accept the decision.
If the charter court rules in favour of the 29 senators who filed the complaint the embattled minister will lose his cabinet seat.
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