ITD boss rifle ‘might have killed’ elephant
Police are checking a rifle owned by construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta to ascertain if he was involved in the deadly shooting of a wild elephant in Kui Buri national park in Prachuap Khiri Khan about three years ago, according to the Central Police Forensic Science Division (CPFS).
The check is to determine if the bullets found lodged in the elephant were fired from a rifle owned by Mr Premchai.
The president of Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD) faces multiple charges relating to the hunting of protected wildlife and firearms possession in the Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province, where he was arrested on the night of Feb 4 along with three others.
The rifle in question was seized by police for examination, along with ammunition, from Mr Premchai’s home during a recent search.
CPFS chief Thawatchai Mekprasertsuk said the examination is expected to take three days.
The result of the check will be reviewed against the records of evidence in the elephant killing case, although the carcass of the elephant is no longer available for testing.
Forensic science experts kept the bullets used to kill the elephant.
Pol Maj Gen Thawatchai, however, has admitted no information has been found to confirm Mr Premchai embarked on a hunting trip to Prachuap Khiri Khan at the time the elephant was shot.
Meanwhile, Mr Premchai will be required to appear in court late next month since he has benefited from relaxed treatment by Thong Pha Phum Court in Kanchanaburi.
Suriyan Hongwilai, spokesman of the Court of Justice, explained the procedure yesterday, apparently in a bid to quell speculation Mr Premchai might be enjoying special treatment when he was not required to appear in court in 12 days like other suspects.
Mr Suriyan explained that police might prolong the detention of a suspect for seven periods of 12 days each.
As police sought the first detention period for Mr Premchai and three other suspects on Feb 6, they would normally be required to appear in court again tomorrow.
However, the Thong Pha Phum Court was an exception since it has relaxed its rule on reporting during police interrogation since 2013.
The reason was that most suspects in the tourist town were not local people, Mr Suriyan said.
“If suspects were to report themselves every 12 days, it would be a waste of time and cause them to lose income,” he said.
The Thong Pha Phum Court now requires all suspects to show up in court from the fourth detention request onward and every suspect is treated the same way.
“Based on this rule, Mr Premchai is required to appear in court for the first time on March 26,” Mr Suriyan said.
Mr Premchai, 63, was arrested with three other people in a no-camping area at the Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Thong Pha Phum district of Kanchanaburi.