Panita says sorry to cop, hands in Maserati
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is probing the legality of the Maserati that belongs to actress Panita “Ning” Tumwattana.
Pol Lt Col Korrawat Panprapakorn, DSI deputy director-general, said the body of the car matches with the number registered. However, it appears on a list of the 686 luxury cars whose history the DSI has been investigating for the past five years. The department has contacted companies abroad for information on the vehicle.
Owners of cars on the list will face legal action if they have not complied with the law, Pol Lt Col Korrawat said.
Meanwhile, Panita yesterday apologised in person to the traffic policeman she accused of seeking a bribe after he stopped her Maserati.
The 39-year-old actress arrived with her family at Vibhavadi police station yesterday morning to make amends. She handed a basket of fruit to Pol Cpl Theerapong Khabchanthuek, who gave her a ticket on Monday.
Panita said she regretted that her social media post, a knee-jerk reaction, had caused a misunderstanding and backfired on her. “I have learned a lesson,” she said. Panita also said she knew she had disappointed her fans and pleaded for a second chance. The negative comments she had received online were justified, she said. She also offered to contribute to the work of traffic police in future.
On Monday, the traffic policeman stopped her Maserati Quattroporte V8 2011 on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road for illegally switching lanes. In an Instagram post, she accused him of being slow to issue the ticket that she demanded because he wanted money. Pol Cpl Theerapong said he did not take the dispute personally as he was just doing his job.
The traffic police division earlier explained Pol Cpl Theerapong had paused to check on the registration of the car, which was found to be registered to a BMW. The Maserati’s annual registration was also overdue.
Panita yesterday handed the Maserati over to police, after the registration plate caught the attention of officers investigating tax evasion in the importation of luxury cars.
Her husband, Jarin Tumwattana, said his company had bought the car from a close friend, and used the wrong licence plates while waiting for its real plates to arrive from the Land Transport Department.