TV anchor ‘tense’ as jail term begins
Disgraced former TV news anchor Sorrayuth Suthassanachinda appeared tense and requested books on Buddhist teachings on his first night behind bars, according to Bangkok Remand Prison chief Krit Krasaethip.
Sorrayuth, who was sent to prison on Tuesday evening after the Appeal Court upheld his 13-year jail sentence for embezzlement, is being detained in the same cell as red-shirt leaders, Arisman Pongruangrong and Jatuporn Prompan, along with 10 or so other inmates, said the prison chief.
“Sorrayuth was stressed, but this is normal,” Mr Krit said yesterday.
“There is still no need for him to receive counselling from prison psychiatrists or take anti-anxiety medicines.”
According to Mr Krit, it is normal for new detainees to suffer from anxiety and stress because they have little understanding of prison life. However, they usually adjust to prison conditions quickly, he said.
Before he went to bed, Sorrayuth asked for books on dhamma, a teaching of the Buddha, and slept around midnight.
Mr Krit said the TV personality had high blood pressure and cholesterol upon being tested by the prison’s medical staff, but is otherwise in good health and suffers from no other ailments.
Sorrayuth and his company, Rai Som, and two other defendants were found guilty of cheating the Mass Communications Organisation of Thailand (MCOT) 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.
Sorrayuth applied for release on bail of 4 million baht but the Supreme Court rejected his request, citing an appeal on facts was not allowed in this case.
The case was brought to court by the National Anti-Corruption Commission which brought malfeasance charges against Sorrayuth and others.
Their actions were in violation of sections 6, 8, and 11 of the Act on Offences Committed by State Officials.
In 15 days or less, Sorrayuth will be taken to the other wing of the prison, where he will be able to receive visitors once a day for 15 minutes. However, his lawyer is allowed to visit him whenever he wants.
Mon-anant Ruangcharas, Sorrayuth’s lawyer, said his client could lodge an appeal within 30 days but it had to be endorsed by judges.
Sorrayuth was sentenced to three years and four months for six cumulative counts of embezzlement, totalling 20 years. But the court commuted it to 13 years and four months because of his testimony.
However, he still can appeal if judges in the Court of the First Instance and Appeal Court who adjudicated the case agree.