BANGKOK: A court sentenced the founder of the royalist Yellow Shirts to two years in jail yesterday for defaming the monarchy when he quoted a speech by a political rival.
Sondhi Limthongkul was convicted under the controversial lese majeste rules after prosecutors appealed an earlier acquittal over his remarks made in 2008.
The appeals court rejected the defence’s argument that the media mogul had not intended to defame the royal family but wanted to draw the attention of police to the original speech.
Sondhi, was released on bail of 500,000 baht ($16,000) pending an appeal in the Supreme Court.
In 2010, he was convicted of defaming Thaksin and handed a six-month suspended jail sentence. AFP
