Two broadcast organizations have issued a joint statement urging Channel 3 to pull its celeb anchor Sorayuth Suthasanachinda from duty after he was convicted of fraud.
The Thai Broadcast Journalists Association and the News Broadcast Council of Thailand requested the channel’s board to rethink its handling of the star anchor after he was released on Monday on THB2 million bail, and brought back to read news for the channel’s popular program show “Morning News” the next day.
“We have discussed the situation and taken voices and reactions from the public into consideration, and we agree that the incident did not only affect the reliability and image of Channel 3 but also the media profession as a whole,” the statement said.
Sorayuth, one of the country’s most recognized news personalities, landed himself in hot water after he was found guilty of cheating the state-owned channel of over THB138 million in advertising revenue.
He was given a jail term of 13 years and 4 months.
Although the case is pending appeal, the broadcast groups said the Criminal Court’s verdict was sufficient proof of Sorayuth’s involvement in the fraud, which constituted both a criminal offense and moral misconduct.
They urged Channel 3 to at least suspend Sorayuth until the case is resolved, in order to be a role model in upholding ethical standards, Thai PBS reported.
Related:
Fraudster celeb anchor Sorayuth granted bail, back on air
Star anchor Sorayuth jailed 13 years for defrauding channel of over THB138 million
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