Premchai panel building ‘watertight’ case
The public prosecution panel reviewing the police investigation into Premchai Karnasuta over his alleged poaching of protected animals yesterday asked for clarification on four points, the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) says.
The request was made to make sure that all evidence related to the case is watertight before prosecutors make a decision on whether to send the case to court, Prayut Phetkhun, deputy spokesman of the OAG, revealed yesterday.
The prosecutors have ordered investigators to report back by Monday, said Mr Prayut, although he refused to say which details need clarification. He also declined to reveal when the OAG would make a decision about sending the case to court.
The four-member team of prosecutors on Monday began examining the 857-page police report, including witness statements and other evidence.
In a related development, Mr Premchai and his driver, Yong Dodkrua, reported to police at the Counter Corruption Division (CCD) yesterday to acknowledge a charge of bribery in connection with their alleged poaching in Thungyai Naresuan wildlife sanctuary early last month.
Wichian Chinnawong, who led the team which arrested Mr Premchai and his three camping companions in the sanctuary on the night of Feb 4, has accused the 63-year-old president of Italian-Thai Development Plc of trying to bribe officials to let them go.
Mr Wichian, head of the Kanchanaburi wildlife sanctuary, provided CCD investigators with audio recordings of conversations with the two suspects in which they say bribes were offered, said Pol Maj Gen Kamol Rianracha, chief of the CCD.
Mr Yong, however, claimed during his meeting with police yesterday that the conversations were jokes and he wasn’t making a genuine attempt to bribe anyone, according to Pol Maj Gen Kamol. The four suspects have already been charged on nine counts and have denied all charges.
Also on Tuesday, Kanita Karnasuta, the wife of Mr Premchai, along with Wandee Somphum, reported to the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division in Bangkok to answer charges of possessing illegal ivory and making false declarations.
Ms Wandee was the person who signed her name to certify that the ivory came from domestic elephants, although it was later found to be African in origin, which is prohibited in Thailand. The two deny the charges.