NBTC commissioner jailed for abuse of authority against TrueID

NBTC Commissioner Pirongrong Ramasoota jailed for two years for abusing her authority against TrueID. Court found her guilty of malfeasance in issuing a warning letter, intended to "topple a telecom giant". She has the right to appeal.

The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases has sentenced a commissioner of the broadcast and telecom watchdog to two years in prison after convicting her of abusing her authority against an Internet TV platform operator.

The court found Pirongrong Ramasoota, a commissioner of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), guilty of malfeasance, a violation of Article 157 of the Criminal Code. This conviction relates to unfair treatment of TrueID, an internet platform run by True Digital Group, a subsidiary of True Corporation.

Warning Letter and Subsequent Lawsuit

The case stemmed from Pirongrong's issuance of a warning letter to TrueID regarding the airing of advertisements when relaying feeds from free-to-air television channels on its Internet TV platform. This warning followed complaints to the NBTC in 2023 from consumers who alleged that free-to-air TV content relayed via TrueID had been modified to include advertisements, differing from the original broadcasts.

On 14 March 2024, True Digital Group filed a lawsuit against Pirongrong, alleging abuse of authority and harassment. They argued that the warning letter caused damage to the company, as operators of terrestrial free-to-air TV channels might mistakenly believe the company had broken the law and subsequently cease providing TV signals via TrueID.

Court Ruling and Evidence

The court ruled that TrueID is an Over-the-Top (OTT) platform, for which operators are not currently required to obtain a licence from the NBTC. Furthermore, the court heard witness testimony that Pirongrong instructed the NBTC Office to expedite the warning's issuance. Witnesses also reported hearing her say the warning would be a "sudden attack" capable of "toppling a telecom giant."

The court stated that these words provided clear evidence of her intent to harass True Digital Group. They also noted that her defence lacked any evidence to counter the evidence and witness testimony presented by the plaintiff.

Sentencing and Appeal

Pirongrong was sentenced to two years in prison for malfeasance. The court stated there was no reason to suspend the jail term.

Pirongrong has the right to appeal the ruling and to apply for bail while the case proceeds in the appeal court. If her bail request is rejected, she could lose her status as an NBTC commissioner upon imprisonment.

(2025/02/06-00:00)