Bangkok: The Supreme Court has sentenced former Member of Parliament Sira Jenjaka to 6 months and 20 days in prison for defaming Dr. Muenthong, with no option for probation, and ordered his immediate imprisonment.
According to Thai News Agency, the decision was delivered today at the Don Mueang District Court, located at the Government Center on Chaeng Watthana Road. The case, numbered 594/2021, was brought by Maj. Gen. Dr. Nopphadon Naenna, Director of Mongkutwattana Hospital, acting as a joint plaintiff alongside the hospital against Sira Jenjaka. The charges included defamation by advertising and trespassing.
The incident in question occurred on May 7, 2021, when Sira, along with several others, allegedly trespassed onto the construction site at Phramongkutklao Hospital. They reportedly defamed the plaintiff in front of onlookers at the entrance to a field hospital for COVID-19 patients, situated near Mongkutwattana Hospital in Lak Si District, Bangkok. The defamation extended to television and online media, damaging the plaintiff's reputation.
Initially, the court of first instance sentenced Sira to 16 months in prison without suspension. The Court of Appeals later reduced this to 10 months. Sira's appeal led to a temporary release on bail.
Further developments saw a postponed Supreme Court hearing on May 22 due to a medical certificate presented by Sira's lawyer citing acute high blood pressure. Today, Sira and his legal team, as well as the plaintiff's lawyer, were present at the court, where the taking of photographs of Sira was prohibited.
The Supreme Court, upon reviewing the evidence, acknowledged that Sira's testimony provided some benefit to the case's deliberation. This led to a reduction of his sentence by one-third. Consequently, the court partially accepted his appeal, resulting in a revised sentence of 6 months and 20 days imprisonment without suspension.
Following the verdict, Sira was escorted by prison officials to the Bangkok Special Prison as per the Supreme Court's ruling.