The Red Bull energy drink tycoon Chalerm Yoovidhya has filed a defamation lawsuit for 50 million baht against a senator and a TV host over allegations of bribery.
Mr Chalerm took issue with a talk show in which a claim was made that the family had paid a 300-million-baht bribe to save his son, Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, from prosecution after the younger man’s Ferrari fatally hit a Thong Lor police officer in 2012.
Ampol Kaewpan, a lawyer representing Mr Chalerm, on Tuesday fined the defamation suit at the Criminal Court against TV host Ubonrat Thaonoi and Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathavorn, a senator and former Metropolitan Police Bureau chief. The suit seeks compensation of 50 million baht.
Mr Chalerm and the Yoovidhya family are ranked second by Forbes magazine on its “Thailand’s 50 Richest” list with a net worth estimated at $33.4 billion as of July 2023.
On the talk show that aired on Feb 29, Pol Lt Gen Sanit was invited to talk about the notorious hit-and-run case involving Red Bull scion Vorayuth.
Mr Ampol told the media that during the show, an allegation was made that the Yoovidhya family had paid about 300 million baht to save Mr Vorayuth. Some segments were subsequently disseminated on TikTok.
The lawyer said the allegation was baseless and distorted the information, which has sullied the reputation of the Yoovidhya family.
Mr Ampol also wants the court to make the two defendants face a charge of colluding in disseminating a false advertisement. He urged the pair to issue an apology on the website and news programme, on TikTok and in full-page newspaper advertisements for seven consecutive days.
The lawyer also demanded the defendants immediately remove the video from TikTok. Netizens who commented on the shared video in a way that could damage Mr Chalerm’s reputation could also face legal action, Mr Ampol added.
Mr Vorayuth has been on the run since his Ferrari struck and killed a Thong Lor police officer on Sept 3, 2012.
Several charges against him have since been dropped, including a speeding charge after its one-year statute of limitations expired in 2013, followed by another charge of failing to help a crash victim, which expired in 2017.
The one remaining charge is reckless driving causing death, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in jail and has a 15-year statute of limitations. It will expire in 2027.
Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya arrives at the Thong Lor police station in Bangkok for questioning after a fatal traffic accident in early September 2012. (Bangkok Post file photo)
