Former TV news anchor Sorrayuth Suthassanachinda was jailed Tuesday after the Supreme Court rejected his bail request after losing his appeal against a jail term handed down by the Criminal Court for embezzling state advertising revenue.
The Appeal Court on Tuesday delivered the ruling upholding the lower court's decision to jail Sorrayuth for 13 years and four months. Sorrayuth later lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court.
He also asked the Supreme Court to free him on bail of four million baht. However, the Supreme Court rejected the request.
The case involves his company, Rai Som Co, and two other defendants -- Rai Som employee Montha Theeradet; and former Mass Communications Authority of Thailand (MCOT) employee Pichapa Iamsa-ard, who was formerly known as Chanapha Boonto. They too were denied bail after their appeals were rejected.
Initially there were two other suspects, Sukanya Saelim and Angkhana Watthanamongkolsil.
However, prosecutors decided to treat them as witnesses.
The court had found the defendants used forged and damaged documents to cheat the MCOT out of 138 million baht in advertising revenue during Sorrayuth's tenure as host of a TV news programme a decade ago.
The lower court in February 2016 sentenced Sorrayuth and Montha each to 13 years and four months in jail for supporting Pichapa, a government official, to commit malfeasance. Pichapa was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
Rai Som was fined 80,000 baht because it had already paid the 138 million baht back to the MCOT as demanded.
Sorrayuth, Montha and Pichapa had been released on bail pending the Appeal Court ruling.
After the Supreme Court rejected bail sought by Sorrayuth and the two women, the former anchorman was detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison and the two women at the Central Women's Correctional Institution in Chutuchak district. The two women also put up four million baht for bail each.
In a related court battle between Rai Som and the MCOT, on Sept 25, 2013, the lower administrative court ordered the MCOT to pay back Rai Som 55.7 million baht, plus 7.5% interest per year, in extra advertisement revenues Rai Som claimed it overpaid the broadcaster, in a lawsuit filed against MCOT by Rai Som.
However, the Supreme Administrative Court, on July 17, 2015, reversed the lower court's ruling, saying the MCOT did not have to pay back the 55.7 million baht to Rai Som because the company did not object to paying the money at the time.
Before Tuesday's ruling, Sorrayuth arrived at the Appeal Court by car and entered through the back door, apparently to avoid the media.
After the ruling and having been denied bail, Sorrayuth emerged from the courtroom and was escorted by corrections officers to Bangkok Remand Prison.
Speaking on Aug 2, Sorrayuth admitted he was stressed about the appeal but said that he had given his best efforts in his legal fight and hoped the court would provide justice.
"I work every day with the hope of benefiting society, but now I haven't so I can't say that I'm happy," he said.
