Premchai reports to answer more questions over ‘hunt trip’

Construction magnate Premchai Karnasuta met police yesterday to answer prosecutors’ questions about damage he and three other suspects caused to the forest during their alleged hunting trip in a Kanchanaburi wildlife sanctuary.

The meeting focused on their request for additional information on damage caused to the ecosystem of Thungyai Naresuan wildlife sanctuary during their stay in a no-camping area, deputy national police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said after leading the interrogation session early yesterday.

The prosecutors are considering how much compensation the four suspects must jointly be required to pay, he said. It is a civil case.

According to Pol Gen Srivara, Chaiwat Limlikit-aksorn, head of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation special taskforce centre on forest protection, told investigators Mr Premchai’s group is estimated to have caused about three million baht of damage to the ecosystem.

They are also facing criminal charges in connection with alleged poaching, but Pol Gen Srivara said investigators have to wait for complete results of forensic testing of items found at their illegal camp inside the World Heritage site.

Mr Premchai remained tight-lipped after the 40-minute questioning session at the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division.

The embattled 63-year-old president of Italian-Thai Development Plc met police for a second consecutive day after he and his driver, Yong Dodkrua who is one of the other three suspects, reported to police at the Counter Corruption Division on Tuesday.

Besides nine high-profile charges related to wildlife poaching, Mr Premchai is also accused of trying to bribe Thungyai wildlife sanctuary chief Wichian Chinnawong, who led the arrest of the suspects on Feb 4.

The most notorious items found at their camp were the pelt of a rare black Indochinese leopard and a cooking pot containing leopard-meat soup.

Police earlier sent their report to prosecutors, recommending indictments, but at least four points “are still unclear”.