Media critic acquitted in defamation suit by PM's former telecom firm
Criminal Court has acquitted Shin Corp's a libel suit against media reform activist Supinya Klangnarong and Thai Post newspaper on Wednesday morning.
The ruling ended a high profile legal battle between media conglomerate and Supinya, secretary general of the Campaign for Popular Media Reform. The suit was filed two years ago when the family of caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra owned Shin Corp. Supinya was accused of libel for saying that Shin Corp had a mutually beneficial relationship with the Thaksin administration and the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party. Shin Corp has also sought Bt400 million in compensation in a civil suit. Criminal Court said today that what Supinya's statements were not considered defaming the plaintiff. Since Singapore's Temasek Holdings took over Shin Corp in January, however, the company has been under mounting pressure to drop the suit, following the public furore over the controversial sale by Thaksin's family. A Shin lawyer had offered to withdraw the suit on condition Supinya apologised for her comments, published by the Thai Post, that the company had benefited hugely from state policies. She turned down the offer and called on the company to acknowledge the public's right to scrutinise it. The Nation
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