Court acquits Chatt in defamation case

The Criminal Court has acquitted former deputy i nterior minister Chatt Kuldiloke in a 2013 defamation case brought against him by former national police chief Somyot Poompunmuang.

The ruling was read yesterday at the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road.

Pol Lt Gen Chatt, who is also a former deputy leader of Pheu Thai Party, was accused of defaming Pol Gen Somyot, then deputy national police chief, in his interviews with the Thai-language newspaper Khom Chad Luek in January 2013.

Pol Gen Somyot also accused Pol Lt Gen Chatt of abusing his authority in a way that caused damage to his good reputation, said the ruling.

Pol Lt Gen Chatt’s interviews came after his wife, Wimolrat Kuldiloke, filed a civil suit seeking the cancellation of Asset Million Co (AMC) share transfers between Pol Gen Somyot and nine other people, said the ruling.

In the interviews, Pol Lt Gen Chatt suggested there had been attempts to have an Australian national, who was a witness in the share transfer case, blacklisted from travelling to Thailand, said the ruling. The suggestion was understood to be a reference to Pol Gen Somyot.

Pol Lt Gen Chatt also said in the interviews that someone was trying to cause problems for the Australian witness so it would be difficult for the witness to to come to Thailand, said the ruling.

The court viewed the contents of the interviews given by Pol Lt Gen Chatt to be honest and fair, and that the retired senior police was speaking with the intention of defending his rights, the ruling said.

Pol Lt Gen Chatt’s interviews were not deemed an act of defamation under Section 329 (1) of the Criminal Code as accused by the plaintiff, according to the ruling.

Pol Lt Gen Chatt yesterday thanked the court for acquitting him.

Pol Gen Somyot did not attend the court session yesterday. He was represented by his lawyer at yesterday’s ruling. It was unclear if he will appeal the verdict.