September 26, 2008	Friday	Ramazan 25, 1429

BANGKOK, Sept 25: Thailand’s Court of Appeals confirmed a two-year jail term for defamation on former Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, who stepped down earlier this month after another court found him guilty of a conflict of interest.

A judge reading the verdict on Thursday said there was no reason to suspend jail terms handed down by the Criminal Court, which had found Samak and co-defendant Dusit Siriwan guilty of defaming a former deputy governor of Bangkok in 2006.

“After considering what the defendants have done, there is no reason to withhold their penalty,” the judge said. Samak needs permission from the attorney general or the Supreme Court to appeal against the sentence.

He showed no emotion when the verdict was announced and slipped out of court through a side door, avoiding the hundreds of journalists waiting at the main gate.

It was not clear whether he would be freed on bail while waiting for a decision on his appeal request. He is still a member of parliament, so parliamentary privilege should allow him to stay out of jail.—Reuters