Pressure grows as defiant Sorayuth stays on air (Updated)

01 มีนาคม 2559

It was business as usual at Channel 3 this Wednesday morning, but pressure is growing on news anchor Sorayuth Suthasanajinda to step down after the Criminal Court sentenced him to a long jail term.

Please join us on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/bangkokpostlearning

Wednesday morning update

Defiant news anchor Sorayuth Suthasanajinda was still on the job as host of Rueng Lao Chao Nee this morning, but public pressure is growing on him to step down. This morning, the Bangkok Post has joined in the call for him to show responsibility with an editorial urging him to avoid further embarrassment by going off the air.

Here is more on the case from this morning's Bangkok Post.

ACT ups heat on Sorayuth

News anchor, Channel 3 risk social sanctions

Ariane Kupferman-Sutthavong
Nanat Suchiva

The Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) has vowed to push for sanctions against Channel 3 and Sorayuth Suthasanajinda unless they heed growing calls to "show responsibility" after a court ruling to jail the embattled TV news anchor.

ACT chairman Pramon Suthivong said Tuesday that social sanctions will be brought against the channel and Sorayuth if they fail to take any action.

"Sorayuth should show some remorse and step down from his role following the court ruling," Mr Pramon said.

Mr Pramon said the anti-graft advocacy group will campaign to ask its network of private sector companies to stop sponsoring the channel and Sorayuth's Rai Som Company.

He added that seeking a boycott from viewers is also on the cards.

ACT's members and allies include the Board of Trade, the Federation of Thai Industries, the Thai Bankers' Association, the Thai Institute of Directors and the Federation of Thai Capital Market Organisations consisting of the Thai Listed Companies Association and the Association of Thai Securities Companies.

Despite mounting calls by media professionals for him to quit his screen role, Sorayuth appeared on his morning news programme as well as his evening news talk show as usual Tuesday, while Channel 3 executives also decided to allow Sorayuth to continue hosting his programmes.

"If Mr Sorayuth were a state official, he would already be suspended from work," Mr Pramon said, drawing attention to corruption cases probed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

The state sector has disciplinary measures against officials found guilty of fraud or malfeasance charges. However, the private sector can only rely on the views and expectations of the public, Mr Pramon added.

Sorayuth and his company Rai Som were found guilty of cheating the Mass Communications Organisation of Thailand out of more than 138 million baht in advertising revenue during his news talk programme on Channel 9 in 2005 and 2006 by bribing an MCOT employee to conceal records of extra advertising.

The executives of BEC World Plc, which runs Channel 3, decided to keep Sorayuth and his popular programmes for the time being, explaining that the incident occurred before Sorayuth started work with Channel 3, and that the case was not yet finalised.

There is an obvious economic incentive to keeping Sorayuth and his Rai Som company happy.

They said the company knew Sorayuth well as they had worked together for 12 years. However, the company also stated they would monitor public sentiment regarding the issue.

Representatives of the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association, the Thai Journalists Association and the communication arts faculty of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce on Monday afternoon called on Sorayuth to step down as a news anchor in order to show responsibility and uphold professional ethics.

Although Sorayuth's case is pending the appeal process, the ruling of the Court of First Instance has proved that there is enough evidence pointing to Sorayuth's involvement in fraud, the statement said.

The case is a criminal offence as well as an ethical issue. Therefore, the public expects Channel 3 to demonstrate responsibility and set an ethical example by stopping Sorayuth from appearing on air temporarily until the case is finalised, said their statement.

Wannee Rattanapol, Media Agency Association of Thailand president, said that companies which have placed advertising on Sorayuth's programme have started talking about their advertising plans. Some have decided to withdraw advertising from his shows.

However, she said the reaction would largely depend on the decision of Channel 3. If Sorayuth is banned, then much of the advertising would be definitely withdrawn, Ms Wannee said.

Tuesday Evening update

Sorayuth hosts evening show as pressure grows for him to step down

Criticism of news anchor Sorayuth Suthasanajinda continues to pour in unabated, but that did not deter him from hosting his evening news show Rueng Den Yen Nee (The Top Story This Evening).

Two professional associations are demanding he step down and they are trying to pressure Channel 3 to take him off the air. The social media is also full of threats to boycott both Channel 3 television shows and the many companies who sponsor Sorayuth's programmes. Today, however, Channel 3 executives seem to give him a vote of confidence, saying his problems occurred before he moved to Channel 3 and that his case was still in the court system.

Our international readers may not realise, but the issue here is not the 138 million baht allegedly improperly taken from advertising revenues while Sorayuth's company Rai Som was under contract to MCOT. That money was repaid years ago. Instead, this is a criminal case in which Rai Som allegedly bribed a government official to cheat MCOT.

This Sorayuth strongly disputed in 2012, saying the money was a legitimate payment for services rendered and taxes were withheld, indicating this was not a bribe. He also said it was impossible for a single person to distort revenues of a corporation listed on the stock exchange with many layers of checks and audits. Apparently, the Criminal Court was unconvinced with his explanation.

Sorayuth still on the air

TV news anchor Sorayuth Suthasanajinda was broadcasting normally this morning a day after being convicted in Criminal Court of cheating MCOT out of more than 138 million baht in advertising revenue in 2005 and 2006. He was released on two-million-baht bail.

TV news anchor Sorayuth Suthasanajinda was back in his familiar chair as "Rueng Lao Chao Nee" host Tuesday morning, even reporting on his own conviction the previous day.

Mr Sorayuth began his regular weekday news programme Rueng Lao Chao Nee with a six-minute summary of the verdict against him and his company. He made no comment except to say while he respected the ruling, he would exercise his right to appeal.

Here is more from our Post reporters:

TV news anchor urged to quit

Sorayuth gets 13-year term for malfeasance

Post Reporters

The Criminal Court on Monday initially sentenced Sorayuth to 20 years for cheating MCOT out of more than 138 million baht in advertising revenue in 2005 and 2006.

However, the jail term was commuted to 13 years and four months as a result of his testimony. He was released on bail and banned from leaving the country without court permission.

TV news anchor Sorayuth Suthasanajinda leaves the Criminal Court after winning bail on Monday. He is at the centre of media and public demands that he stop broadcasting news. PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD

Following the court's ruling, it was reported that management at Channel 3 called an urgent meeting to consider how to proceed.

The news talk programme Rueng Den Yen Nee (The Top Story This Evening), hosted by Sorayuth, was dropped Monday evening.

His programme was replaced by news reports which covered the court's ruling.

Isara News Centre reported that the management at Channel 3, where Sorayuth's TV programmes are broadcast, said the court ruling was a personal matter.

It said the issue would not affect the channel's normal television programme schedule.

News programmes produced by Rai Som Co – Rueng Lao Chao Nee (Monday-Friday), and Rueng Lao Sao Arthit on Saturday and Sunday – will continue to be broadcast as usual, although it is up to Rai Som to decide whether to change the TV show host, Isara News quoted Channel 3 management as saying.

Media organisations and academics have urged the well-known news anchor to quit.

Thai Broadcast Journalists Association (TBJA) president Thepchai Yong said Monday it is obvious Sorayuth should step down from his job as a news show host to demonstrate responsibility following the court's ruling.

This case serves as a lesson for members of the media to work transparently, he said. If the media wants government officials, and politicians to maintain high standards, the media itself must hold itself to a high standard, he said.

Thai Journalists Association (TJA) vice-president Manop Thip-Osod said Sorayuth should review his role. "The media profession's role is to fight incorrectness and right the wrongs," Mr Manop said.

The case was brought to court by the National Anti-Corruption Commission which bought malfeasance charges against Sorayuth and others.

The Criminal Court on Monday convicted Rai Som Co founder and managing director Sorayuth, and Rai Som employee Montha Theeradet, for supporting official malfeasance.

Montha received the same sentence as Sorayuth.

The Criminal Court also sentenced a former employee of MCOT Plc, Pichapa Iamsa-ard, to 30 years in prison in absentia and fined Rai Som 80,000 baht. Pichapa's sentence was commuted to 20 years.

The defendants bribed Pichapa to conceal a 138-million-baht advertising fee Sorayuth's firm owed to the state-run media organisation.

The court heard that from Feb 4, 2005 to April 28, 2006, Sorayuth's company paid Pichapa 658,996 baht.

During 2005-2006, Rai Som had a contract with MCOT to co-produce the Kui Kui Khao news talk programme and was allocated advertising slots of between two and five minutes during the programme.

The court was told Pichapa used correction fluid to erase entries detailing the advertising times of Rai Som.

This caused damages worth 138.8 million baht to MCOT and enabled Rai Som to withhold advertising revenue that was due to MCOT, the court was told.

The Criminal Court later released Sorayuth and the other defendants present on 2 million baht bail each.

They are required to report to the court every 30 days.