The Criminal Court on Thursday gave a suspended two-year prison term to former Democrat MP Sirichok Sopha, and fined him 100,000 baht, for defaming the late owner of Landmark Hotel.
Anucha Sihanatkathakul, a 58-year-old property businessmen, earlier filed suit against Mr Sirichok, a former MP for Songkhla. He accused Mr Sirichok of saying on his Facebook page, between July 22 and Oct 8, 2015, that his father Montri had taken advantage of other people.
Sirichok Sopha
Mr Sirichok had denied the accusation and been released on bail. He showed up for the judgement at the court on Ratchadaphisek Road.
In its ruling, the court said that Montri had filed a fraud suit against Mr Sirichok's mother Saowaraot Sopha. The Bangkok South Municipal Court had sentenced her to two years in jail for borrowing 15 million baht from Montri without telling him she was a declared bankrupt.
Montri withdrew the suit during the appeal process.
On July 22, 2015, Mr Sirichok posted a message on Facebook saying that his mother had been lured into sealing a loan agreement, but had not received the money.
The court sentenced Mr Sirichok to prison for two years, but suspended the term for two years as he was a public figure, had worked for the public interest and had never faced legal punishment. He was fined 100,000 baht.
Mr Anucha had also sued Mr Sirichok over the same matter in the Civil Court, which in April ordered Mr Sirichok to pay 2 million baht in compensation to Mr Anucha.
Montri was shot dead by a former aide at his own house in Bangkok on July 21, 2015. He was then 78 years old. The former aide then took his own life, leaving a letter referring to their financial dispute.
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