Lawyer Thana Benchathikul, centre, who represents Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, shows a copy of his libel lawsuit filed against ‘Phujadkarn’ newspaper and the website manager.co.th over their coverage of the ‘Finland Plot’ allegation.

The Criminal Court yesterday accepted a libel suit filed by the Thai Rak Thai Party and caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra against certain columnists and Manager Media Group Plc over the so-called "Finland Declaration" allegation.

Apart from the Manager Group, which owns Phujadkarn newspaper, the four defendants named were academic and columnist Pramote Nakhonthap, Saowalak Theeranuchanyong, an executive of the group's rehabilitation plan, Khunthong Lawseriwanit, editor and publisher of Phujadkarn, and Panchapan Angkasuwan, a manager of the group's website.

The suit stated the five defendants distributed a series of articles entitled "The Finland strategy: is it a plan to change Thailand's ruling system?", written by Pramote and published in Phujadkarn on May 17, 19, 22, 23 and 24 and on the manager.co.th website on May 18, 21, 22 and 23.

The five-part series accused Thai Rak Thai and its founders of seeking to change the country's ruling system from a constitutional monarchy to that run by "Thaksinomics".

The articles intended to destroy the party by misleading the public and causing them to lose faith

and trust in the party, the suit

said.

The plaintiffs demanded the defendants advertise the verdict in the case in 14 daily newspapers and on the Manager.co.th website for seven consecutive days.

The court will hear the case on August 7.

Thana Benchathikul, the plaintiffs' lawyer, said they would file three civil suits over the allegation on Friday demanding Bt1 billion in compensation.

The plaintiffs will also file two more criminal suits against those making allegations about the so-called "Finland Plot" during the recent talk-show "Muang Thai Rai Sapda" at Lumpini Park.

Caretaker Senator Sophon Suphapong and Sondhi Limthongkul were among the speakers at the event.

They will also file libel suits against caretaker Senator Chirmsak Pinthong and academic Chai-anan Samudvanija for slandering the Thai Rak Thai Party at a seminar.

They will not file suits against other media or publications that published the allegation because they were not the origins of the defamation, Thana said.