Cops back on Boss’ trail
Dentist denies using cocaine in treatment
Police plan to use medical information that the chemical substances found in the blood of Red Bull scion Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya could be a result of the use of cocaine to see if they can press a charge of drug use against him.
The dentist who provided dental treatment for Red Bull scion Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya has meanwhile denied using cocaine in his dentistry after police said there might be a misunderstanding regarding police testimony over the use of the drug.
Pol Gen Satawat Hiranburana, a special adviser to the Royal Thai Police, who heads a police committee assigned to investigate why police and prosecutors decided to drop all charges against Mr Vorayuth in the hit-and-run case, said yesterday that officers handling the case received Mr Vorayuth’s blood test results on Oct 11, 2012.
Doctors at Ramathibodi Hospital and the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the Police General Hospital found four kinds of substances in Mr Vorayuth’s body, Pol Gen Satawat said, citing the test results.
Two of the substances were from sleeping pills and coffee while and the others were caused by the digestion of cocaine and alcohol, he said.
At the time, police summoned the dentist for questioning. The dentist, whose identity was withheld, confirmed that he administered medication without narcotics to Mr Vorayuth, Pol Gen Satawat said.
Investigators then sought clarification from doctors at the two institutes as to whether the test results might be caused by antibiotics or were actually the result of narcotics, he said.
However, the investigators concluded there was no actual cocaine found in Mr Vorayuth’s blood and that there was no other evidence against him, so the police did not press charges related to illicit drug use against him, Pol Gen Satawat said referring to investigators’ accounts.
Regarding the police’s testimony before the House committee, Pol Gen Satawat said he believed it might be a misunderstanding.
The next step will be to ask medical experts at the Public Health Ministry to determine the source of the two substances, he said. If it is found that they are narcotics, he will ask the national police chief to take action, Pol Gen Satawat said.
Padate Tangngamsakul, the vicepresident of the Dental Council, insisted yesterday that cocaine is not used by dental professionals as it is a narcotic.
Dr Padate said that the dentist, who asked not to be named, told the Dental Council that he gave dental treatment for Mr Vorayuth on Aug 29, 2012 — five days before the hit-and-run incident which took place on Sept 3.
The treatment was for a gum condition which required the injection of an anaesthetic called Mepivacaine which is in the same group as lidocaine. After the procedure, the dentist only prescribed the antibiotic amoxicillin, Dr Padate said.
“The dentist in question has insisted that he told police several years ago that no cocaine was used in the dental treatment of Boss,” Dr Padate said, adding that the dentist wondered why police officers reportedly said he used cocaine.
Asked whether the Dental Council will invite the dentist to give information, Dr Padate said the dentist needs time to prepare because the incident took place almost eight years ago.
Piyada Prasertsom, director of the dental health bureau of the Department of Health under the Public Health Ministry, said yesterday that cocaine had not been used in dentistry for more than a century.
On Thursday, Natchanon Srikokuea, spokesman of the House committee on police affairs, told a press briefing the panel had questioned officers who handled the case as to why they did not press charges related to illicit drug use against Mr Vorayuth despite a positive blood test proving the use of narcotics.
The officers told the committee they did not press the charge because a dentist confirmed he had administered medicines which had cocaine as a component for dental treatment. When Mr Vorayuth drank alcohol, it mixed with the medicines which caused some chemical substances in the body to be released, Mr Natchanon quoted the police as saying.
However, the police had no medical documents to prove that chemical substances found in Mr Vorayuth’s body were the result of dental treatment, Mr Natchanon said, adding it was just a verbal explanation.
Three activists claimed previously they had evidence to prove that Mr Vorayuth had illicit chemical substances, including cocaine, in his system on Sept 3, 2012, the day of the fatal accident.
They cited a copy of a letter by Vichan Peonim, head of the Forensic Pathology programme at Mahidol University’s Faculty of Medicine at Ramathibodi
Hospital, sent to the head of the faculty’s Department of Pathology.
The letter, dated Oct 1, 2012, was “about the substances found in the body of Mr Vorayuth Yoovidhya as requested by the Thong Lor Police Station”. The letter showed that Mr Vorayuth’s body contained Alprazolam, Benzoylecgonine, Cocaethylene and caffeine.
Alprazolam, commonly sold under the brand name Xanax, is used to manage anxiety disorders. The drug is classified as a Type 4 stimulant, and it is highly regulated in the kingdom, the letter said. Alprazolam residues can be detected in urine from one to five days after the drug is consumed, it said.
Sira Jenjaka, chairman of the House committee on legal affairs, justice and human rights, said yesterday that the committee will invite the dentist who treated Mr Vorayuth and the vice-president of the Dental Council to testify.
“We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel... If we find that the information given by the dentist was not in line with the professional code of ethics, the dentist must be held legally accountable,’’ Mr Sira said.
Former senator Rosana Tositrakool yesterday petitioned Parliament president Chuan Leekpai to scrutinise a National Legislative Assembly (NLA) panel working on the hit-and-run case.
Ms Rosana called on the parliament president to use his power to disclose information on the NLA panel’s handling of the case.
Society wanted to know whether the prosecutor’s decision to drop charges against Mr Vorayuth was the result of the panel’s investigation, she said.
The more the media digs into the fatal hit-and-run involving Red Bull scion Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, the more we see ugly twists and turns, especially as some state authorities are trying to get the wealthy man off the hook. The prosecutors’ decision not to arraign Mr Vorayuth on a charge of reckless driving causing death was based on accounts of two “eyewitnesses” who suspiciously turned up seven days after the accident and claimed the Red Bull scion was not driving fast that fateful morning. Moreover, the car’s speed in the original file was reduced from 177kph to around 77kph. Another contentious issue has been the use of cocaine by Mr Vorayuth. Police officers claim that the illicit substance found in his blood was the result of dental treatment. Such a claim has drawn a fierce response from dentists, saying they have ceased using it for over a century.
The twists, which has now seen the dead police officer become the sole culprit, have fuelled public uproar as faith in the justice system has taken a nosedive. “Prisons are for the poor” has become a catchphrase.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has intervened in the matter by setting up a panel under Vicha Mahakhun, a former commissioner of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). He has given the panel 30 days to wrap up the case and to clear all the dubious aspects. The parliament also has its own panel.
Now, it’s up to the Vicha panel to expose those involved in the attempted whitewashing of this rich man. Those in the wrong must be held accountable for their actions.
There are about 10 people — in high positions and as operations officers — involved in this twist. It is apparent that they have tried to add suspense to such a simple case by citing new witnesses to present an account that only gives a chance for Mr Vorayuth to walk free.
One of the “witnesses”, named Jaruchart Maadthong, turned up out of nowhere in 2019 — seven years after the crash — and gave testimony in favour of the scion. Jaruchart died in a motorcycle crash on Thursday night.
What’s even more strange is the role of a panel under the military-installed National Legislative Assembly (NLA) in the case. According to the OAG’s documents, Mr Vorayuth attempted to have the OAG reopen
the case. The rich man repeatedly asked the now-defunct NLA panel on legal, justice and police affairs in 2014 to convince the OAG — which by then had already declared the case closed — to reconsider it. The OAG eventually made a U-turn, citing new witnesses. It then sent the file back to police who did not make an objection. The decision to drop the charge was made on June 12.
We should look at the NLA panel’s composition. Among them was Admiral Sitthawat Wongsuwon, brother of Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon. Also, another member was Gen Prawit’s other brother, Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwon, the former police chief. Other big names in the same panel include Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda, the current police chief, Deputy Attorney General, and three former deputy police chiefs, and a metropolitan police chief.
The question is: Why did the NLA which is the law-making mechanism step in and help bail the rich man out? The OAG, an independent body, and the NLA should not have any role in such a simple accident case in the first place. It would be different if the agency came forward and helped the poor who are seeking protection from the influential people and not vice versa. The whole saga shows the privilege
that a family with such an extensive network in all key agencies can have and how it can be protected from legal troubles.
As the story hit the headlines, Adm Sitthawat, who was chairman of the panel, admitted that it was Mr Vorayuth’s lawyer who sought help from the panel. This was a turning point, leading to successful whitewash.
The Vicha committee should summon members of the NLA panel and find out who is behind this shameful twist. It appears that not all members consented to this.
Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathavorn, former metropolitan police chief, who was a panel member and became frustrated insisted that he did not agree with the panel having any role in the hit-and-run saga.
“It’s clear that the matter was over. In my position as a metropolitan police chief, I cannot accept this. I told the panel not to pay attention to the ‘expert’ on speed who might not be real,” he recalled.
The retired officer also warned the panel of damages, and on top of that he insisted it’s not the NLA panel’s duty to intervene.
“Did the NLA or Senate have the power to order police or the OAG? Whoever did it breached the charter and the panel came to the conclusion that it would stay away from
the matter.”
However, Thani On-laiad, who was a member of the panel, gave a different account. He told the media the panel pursued the case as requested by Mr Vorayuth’s lawyer. It summoned eight authorities, including the former deputy attorney-general, police who inspected the Ferrari, and witnesses, before concluding that Mr Vorayuth was clean.
Until now, it is unclear if the panel took any action as some members were not aware of the case. Was an intervention in OAG — which was an independent body — unconstitutional? The scandal reflects the dark side of the country under the regime, as nepotism reigns again. The checks-and-balance mechanism was crippled while officials sided with the rich, leaving the poor frustrated yet again.
If the Vicha committee can find irregularities, especially in changes made to speeding with use of fake witnesses, it should take action against those involved.
But if it cannot or can only catch petty officers while letting big fish slip, people’s lack of faith in the justice system could explode into a crisis.