A court fight between Mcot Plc and Sorayuth Suthassanachinda,
which began six years ago, ended on Wednesday with the publicly listed firm on
the losing side.
The Administrative Court ruled in favour of his Rai Som
Co by ordering Mcot to pay him 55.7 million baht plus 7.5% interest within 90
days after the verdict was handed down.
The compensation was for advertising revenues from his
news programmes, then on Mcot's Modernnine, which runs Channel 9. The
programmes were hosted by Mr Sorayuth before he departed for Channel 3.
Sorayuth Suthassanachinda. Photo: Bangkok Post
Rai Som filed charges against Mcot in the Administrative
Court in 2006, accusing the public broadcaster of selling more advertising time
than had been agreed under their revenue sharing deal, and of not paying it at
the agreed rate.
The court said Mcot did not comply with the agreement
signed with Rai Som in 2004, saying that the advertising time had been oversold
and Rai Som must receive a refund of the 30% marketing margin that Mcot had
collected.
The Mcot payments were for the news programmes aired on
the channels from 2005 to 2006.
The court's order was more than an earlier estimation.
Judge Anucha Hoonsawasdikul, in a statement in November last year said the
damages due to Rai Som to be paid by Mcot would be around 49 million baht.
Mr Sorayuth was not at the court and sent a lawyer to represent
him.
He is fighting another battle on an embezzlement charge.
Mr Sorayuth is accused of embezzling 138 million baht in
shared advertising revenue from Mcot and paid Mcot staff to conceal the record
of actual income.
The case is in the hands of a joint panel of the National
Anti-Corruption Commission and the Office of the Attorney-General to decide
whether he will be indicted. The anti-graft agency found grounds of wrongdoing
in September last year.
It is unknown whether the broadcaster will take the case
to the Supreme Administrative Court.
(bangkokpost.com)