United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) chairman Jatuporn Promphan and two former red-shirt leaders, Natthawut Saikua and Arisman Pongruangrong, have been ordered by the Supreme Court to collectively pay 19.3 million baht compensation for the destruction by fire of a building in downtown Bangkok during the red-shirt protests against the Abhisit administration in 2010.
The Supreme Court’s verdict, which was read on August 22nd at the Civil Court, was disclosed on Sunday by Democrat party spokesman Ramet Wattanachaweng, who said he was assigned by Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, former Democrat leader, to attend the court hearing on his behalf.
The lawsuit was initiated by executives of the ULC Software Company, located on Ratchaprarop Road, against 11 defendants, including former prime minister Abhisit, former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban, the Defence and Finance ministries, the army, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, former Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paripatra and the three UDD leaders.
The plaintiff claimed that the company’s office building was burned down during the violent protests and demanded 385 million baht compensation from the 11 defendants.
The Civil Court rejected the lawsuit against Abhisit, Suthep and the Bangkok governor and dismissed the lawsuit against the rest of the defendants. The ruling was then upheld by the Appeals Court.
The Supreme Court, however, overturned the rulings of the two lower courts and ordered the three red-shirt leaders be held accountable for the damage to the building on the grounds that they verbally incited the protesters to resist government officials, resulting in the arson attacks which burned down the company’s building.
