Defamation sentence handed down to anticorruption advocate Chuvit, who will spend 8 months in prison.
In a recent ruling by the Criminal Court, former politician and massage parlour entrepreneur Chuvit Kamolvisit was sentenced to eight months in prison for defaming and insulting former police officer Santhana Prayoonrat.
The case originated from remarks made by Chuvit on Nov 23, 2022, during a live broadcast by Voice TV on YouTube. The court ruled that Chuvit's statements damaged Mr Santhana's reputation, subjected him to ridicule and hatred, and amounted to defamation by advertisement under Sections 328 and 393 of the Criminal Code.
The accusations made by Chuvit claimed that Mr Santhana was linked to gambling, misconduct, dishonesty, and violent obstruction of officials. These allegations were made public during the live broadcast, in front of reporters, photographers, and the public.
Interestingly, within five years of completing a previous sentence, the defendant committed the current offence. Chuvit's previous sentence was completed on July 21, 2020. Prior to this case, Chuvit had been convicted by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division and sentenced to one month's imprisonment for submitting a false asset and liability declaration.
The court's ruling was a result of a complaint filed by prosecutors on behalf of Mr Santhana. The sentence was later reduced to eight months due to Chuvit's partial admission of facts that aided the proceedings. After the ruling, Chuvit submitted a request for bail pending appeal, which was approved with a surety of 30,000 baht.
The case stemmed from events that occurred during a live broadcast, marking a significant moment in the ongoing saga of Chuvit Kamolvisit's legal battles. The ruling was made on Wednesday.
