Supreme Court postpones ‘Finland Declaration’ ruling

Supreme Court postpones ‘Finland Declaration’ ruling

Sondhi Limthongkul arrives at the Criminal Court on Sept 6 this year to hear the Supreme Court ruling in a legal case filed by the Securities Exchange of Thailand in which he was sentenced to a 20-year jail term. (Bangkok Post file photo)
Sondhi Limthongkul arrives at the Criminal Court on Sept 6 this year to hear the Supreme Court ruling in a legal case filed by the Securities Exchange of Thailand in which he was sentenced to a 20-year jail term. (Bangkok Post file photo)

The delivery of the Supreme Court decision in a defamation case against Sondhi Limthongkul and 10 others brought by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra over a seminar on the so-called "Finland Declaration" was again postponed on Tuesday.

The court ordered a second postponement, until Dec 16, after one of the defendants, prominent academic Chai-Anan Samudavanija, failed to appear to hear the ruling, pleading illness.

The other defendants include former Bangkok senator Chirmsak Pinthong and academic Pramote Nakhonthap, along with those involved in the broadcasting of the discussion on the ASTV satellite network and the Manager website.

According to the lawsuit, the defamation occurred during a panel discussion on the "Finland Declaration and Thai Rak Thai's political strategy" at the main auditorium of Thammasat University held between May 24 and May 28, 2006.

Thaksin was prime minister and head of the Thai Rak Thai party at the time.

On March 24, 2009 the Criminal Court dismissed the case, reasoning that the defendants had not proved that the "Finland Declaration" really existed, and the participants only criticised the way Thai Rak Thai and Thaksin were handling the country's administration.

The plaintiffs took their case to the Appeals Court, which upheld the lower court’s decision. Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai then appealed to the Supreme Court.

Sondhi, the first defendant in the case, is currently serving a 20-year jail term in Bangkok Remand Prison after being convicted in a separate case filed by the Securities Exchange of Thailand. He was on Tuesday escorted from the prison to hear the ruling, which was due to be delivered at the Criminal Court.

Before the reading of the ruling, the defendants’ lawyer, Suwat Apaipak told the court that Mr Chai-Anan, the third defendant, could not be present because he was in hospital receiving treatment for an  ischemic stroke and kidney disease.

The court accepted the explanation and postponed the reading of the ruling until Dec 16.

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