The Criminal Court on Monday sentenced well-known TV news anchor Sorrayuth Suthasanachinda to 13 years and four months in jail for bribing a former employee of Mcot Plc to fraudulently conceal a 138-million-baht fee his firm owed the state-run media organisation.
Two directors of his firm, Rai Som Co, received the same sentence - Angkhana Watthanamongkholsilp and Sukanya sae Lim - and a staff member, Montha Theeradet.
The court heard that from Feb 4, 2005, to April 28, 2006, Sorrayuth's company bribed an Mcot employee, Pichapa Iamsa-ard. She was paid 658,996 baht to not report to Mcot management TV commercials in excess of contracted advertising times on Sorrayuth's Khui Khui Khao news programme on Mcot’s Modernine TV channel.
This action enabled Rai Som Co to withhold advertising revenue totalling 138 million baht that was due Mcot.
Pichapa remains at large. The Criminal Court sentenced her to 20 years in prison in absentia.
The court also fined Rai Som 80,000 baht.
Sorrayuth was present in court for the judgement.
The Criminal Court later released Sorrayuth and the three of the other defendants present on bail of 2 million baht each and prohibited them from leaving the country. Lawyers had sought the temporary release of all four defendants on bail pending an appeal.