PAD leader appeals for lower court's sentence

BANGKOK, February 29 (TNA) - A Thai media mogul, Sondhi Limthongkul, who is a core leader of the yellow-shirt People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), a strong civic group in Thailand, has filed a case with the Appeal Court seeking a renewed verdict in his favour, after the Lower Court finally sentenced him to a 20-year-jail term on Tuesday without suspension for violating the Securities and Exchange Act. Bangkok's Criminal Court said in its February 28 ruling that 64-year-old Sondhi was found guilty of falsifying financial documents aimed at securing a 1.08-billion-baht bank loan for his media business in 1996-1997. The Lower Court also found him guilty of separate charges, totally 17 counts with a five-year imprisonment each, raising his total jail term to 85 years, but due to his confession, the Lower Court halved his jail term to 42 years and six months. The final sentence against him was, however, capped at 20 years because, the court said, it is the maximum legal punishment on the charges. Sondhi, the founder of Thailand's Manager Media Group, was later released on a 10-million-baht bail pending his appeal for the Lower Court's ruling. Sondhi and other core PAD leaders led their supporters for street political rallies which successfully toppled three former Thai prime ministers, including exiled ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, and even seized the Government House for three months and Thailand two main airports, Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi Airports, for a week in 2008. (TNA)