It was business as usual for TV news anchor Sorayuth Suthasanajinda and Channel 3 the morning after the Criminal Court on Monday found the former guilty of cheating the Mass Communications Organisation of Thailand (MCOT) out of 138.7 million baht in advertising revenue.
Sorayuth, along with his former staffer Montha Theeradet, was given 13 years and four months in prison over the case that dates back to 2005. A former MCOT employee who helped in the embezzlement received 30 years in prison while Sorayuth's company Rai Som was fined 80,000 baht.
Sorayuth, who was released on 2-million-baht bail, appeared on Channel 3 to host his Rueng Lao Chao Nee programme at 6am with co-host, Pichayathun "Bright" Chanput. He was apparently unperturbed by his conviction and calls from media organisations and academics demanding that he resign from his role until his court case is over. Among those calling for Sorayuth's break in a show of responsibility are the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association and the Thai Journalists Association.
The defiant news anchorman chose his court case as the first item of his news programme by reading the Criminal Court's verdict against him and three other co-defendants. Finishing with the reading, he told his audience he respected the court's judgement and he would appeal against his conviction.
It was also business as usual for Channel 3 as the TV station allowed Sorayuth to continue hosting his morning news programme although on Monday, it abruptly pulled his evening news programme, Rueng Den Yen Nee, off the air. The management is reluctant to take any action against its "star" audience puller. Instead, it has passed the buck to Sorayuth's Rai Som Company to decide how it will deal with the news host.
Sorayuth may think he has the right not to suspend his role as a news anchor until the case goes to the high court, but he must not forget that as a watchdog, members of the media like himself are bound to maintain the standards of journalistic ethics. But, unfortunately, the Rai Som affair has demonstrated some media principles have been bent.
The same goes for the principle of corporate governance which is supposed to be the mantra practised by major listed companies. This governance principle has no place at Channel 3 despite the fact that it can -- and should -- do something to raise the standard of corporate governance in this country and, hence, improve the image of the business community.
The Rai Som case should be a wake-up call for media organisations. They should think seriously about what to do to equip themselves to deal with rogue media people rather than just coming up with rhetoric which they have done since time immemorial. Without efficient measures, public faith in the media may erode.
The cosmetic attention given to good corporate governance or the lack of it evident in the Rai Som saga and some other high-profile scandals reflect the worrying attitude among many Thais that cheating is not a serious offence and that offenders should be forgiven if they return their ill-gotten gains. In Sorayuth's case, the cheated advertising revenue plus interest was returned to the MCOT. But that is not enough.
Now that some netizens have started a boycott campaign in this Rai Som case, members of the public should realise their rights and power in saying no to public figures, including those in the media, who cheat and refuse to repent and corporations which ignore good governance.
For his own sake and also to spare his colleagues and Channel 3 further embarrassment, Sorayuth should take a sabbatical until his court case comes to an end.