The court accepted the defamation lawsuit filed by Ben Smith against Rome concerning the scammer exposure. Rome declared he is in good spirits and will fight for the nation to the very end.
On 13 January 2026, the Criminal Court ordered to accept the defamation case filed by Ben Smith against Rangsiman Rome, a party leader. The suit alleges defamation by advertising stemming from Rome's parliamentary debate and social media posts accusing the plaintiff of involvement with a scammer gang and money laundering. The court considered that although the defendant is an MP, the statements were made outside parliament and involved accusations toward a third party without opportunity for rebuttal, thus not covered by constitutional parliamentary privilege under Section 124. At this stage, the court found the case had merit under Criminal Code Section 328.
Rangsiman Rome posted on Facebook confirming he is very encouraged and determined to fight the case to the end, viewing it as fulfilling his duty to protect the nation's interests from gray capital syndicates. He added, "Scammers will never win." He is scheduled to attend the trial at Phayao Provincial Court on 26 January, while the Criminal Court set a joint hearing for both parties on 23 February at 09:00 GMT+7.