Police suspected of bias towards Premchai

[webfact]

Police suspected of bias towards Premchai

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

 

Stencil of black leopard painted over for unknown reasons.
 

INVESTIGATORS IN the controversial black leopard hunting case are facing serious distrust expressed by members of the public, as the head of the investigation team, Pol General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, is seen as too close to the suspect, Italian-Thai Development president Premchai Karnasuta.

 

A picture of Srivara deferentially greeting Premchai, the prime suspect in a poaching case in Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary, when the latter reported to the police last Friday has elicited serious criticism that the senior police officer might influence the investigation in favour of the business tycoon.

 

 

Srisuwan Janya, secretary-general of the Association to Protect the Thai Constitution, yesterday said the slow investigation progress and clear picture of Srivara showing unnecessary good manners to Premchai made him believe that eventually Premchai would receive minor punishment or escape justice.

 

Srisuwan said he would ask the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to investigate the case.

 

“This illegal poaching case is of the public interest, but the investigation team, especially Srivara, still showed suspicious behaviour appearing that they are trying to help Premchai in this case and there are many efforts trying to punish the forest rangers and minor police officers,” Srisuwan said.

 

He added that it was normal for offenders to do everything to preserve their freedom, while suspects who had both influence and wealth, such as Premchai, used those advantages, especially given that his company had secured so many contracts for major government projects and had close relations with top government officials.

 

“It is very easy for the investigation team to help Premchai, as they can make the docket of his case and the evidence against him appear too weak and eventually the court will be unable to punish him or allow him to receive a minor punishment,” Srisuwan said.

 

 

“The court could punish Premchai for hunting the black leopard, even if the investigation team fails to provide evidence that he shot and killed the animal, but there are many factors that he could cite asking for reduction of his punishment or to get his sentence suspended.”

 

He added that it would be very improper for the law enforcement to help Premchai, and if he walked free, the public would lose faith in the Royal Thai Police, the government and, most importantly, the legal and justice system.

 

Srisuwan added that he would ask the DSI to take the case as special task and assume responsibility from the police.

 

The arrest of Premchai for alleged poaching has triggered investigations into other wrongdoing connected to his network of businesses and family. Cheewapap Cheewatham, head of Royal Forest Department’s Phayak Prai taskforce, said more land belonging to Premchai’s family business, CPK International, had been found to be illegally situated in Loei’s Phu Rua district. Cheewapap said about 6,500 rai (1,040 hectares) of land at four disputed plots were found to be illegally owned, as the land deeds had been revoked since 1991, but the company still continued to use the land.

 

“We are going to investigate further to find more illegal forestland encroachment by Premchai’s business network and we want to ensure the public that the wrongdoers in these encroachments will face justice,” he said.

 

In a related update, street art depicting a black leopard and a “mute” button by the famous graffiti artist known as “Headache Stencil” on a wall in Bangkok’s Soi Sukhumvit 58, which signified the injustice involved in the case, was painted over within 24 hours of its completion by an unknown group of officers, while the other graffiti nearby was left untouched.

 

Headache Stencil is also famous for his caricatures of Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan and his controversial luxury watches. He questioned yesterday why the leopard stencil had been painted over, and who had ordered the act.

 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30340151

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-05

[Odysseus123]

The headline is very,very, hard to believe....

[colinneil]

Police suspected of bias.....What impossible, all police here are honest people, they would never be biased.

 

Okay okay, i dont believe it either, but the local Mercedes dealer is very happy.

[Odysseus123]

8 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Police suspected of bias.....What impossible, all police here are honest people, they would never be biased.

 

Okay okay, i dont believe it either, but the local Mercedes dealer is very happy.

Spot on Colin,

 

Happiness is yours when you truly come to believe.

 

How did you know that I have recently purchased a new Mercedes?

Edited March 4, 2018 by Odysseus123

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He added that it would be very improper for the law enforcement to help Premchai, and if he walked free, the public would lose faith in the Royal Thai Police, the government and, most importantly, the legal and justice system.

faith is already gone

[rkidlad]

Well, they’re biased towards money. They all want their cut. These people have no loyalty to anyone but themselves. 

[dinsdale]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Police suspected of bias towards Premchai

 What a way to start the working week. Thank you. Of course it could read. "Police suspected of bias towards all rich/connected people who break the law".

Edited March 5, 2018 by dinsdale

[anon789561]

"if he walked free"

 

that's hilarious. like he would ever be detained. yeah right. have to say though, some of the stuff doing the rounds about this and the police on thai social media is pretty unprecedented from what i have seen before. my brother in law shared one pic that i can't show and actually told him to take down. the public are getting more confident against the rich and chief of police nowadays i reckon

[mikebell]

Thai Police are possibly the country's most corrupt establishment; so why the surprise and incredulity about a top cop brown-nosing a wealthy suspect where his guilt is overwhelmingly evident.

[BobbyL]

He added that it would be very improper for the law enforcement to help Premchai, and if he walked free, the public would lose faith in the Royal Thai Police, the government and, most importantly, the legal and justice system.

 

[Moti24]

Police suspected of bias towards Premchai

 

That's got to be way up there for the "Understatement of the year" award!

[yellowboat]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He added that it would be very improper for the law enforcement to help Premchai, and if he walked free, the public would lose faith in the Royal Thai Police, the government and, most importantly, the legal and justice system.

The fact that any Thai still has any faith at all is mind boggling.  If this guy gets off too light, the army will look bad as it is their government and the old "we can do nothing" won't be believed.  Just hope the rangers keep digging.  Wonder if they bowed and scraped for this poacher.   

[Juan B Tong]

The simple fact that Srivara greeted the penis eater is all one needs to know about equal justice here.

 

The fact that Srivara's took this photo op is hilarious

[Misterwhisper]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

and if he walked free, the public would lose faith in the Royal Thai Police, the government and, most importantly, the legal and justice system.

Hmmm... I always was under the impression the Thai public - especially the lower echelons, the common man on the street - had already lost faith in these institutions a long time ago,.

[RichardColeman]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He added that it was normal for offenders to do everything to preserve their freedom

Including running away, offering a bung and asking for Thai forensics to look at the case !

Edited March 5, 2018 by RichardColeman

[trainman34014]

Lets just replace the word 'Suspected' with 'Known' !

[TKDfella]

4 hours ago, dinsdale said:

 What a way to start the working week. Thank you. Of course it could read. "Police suspected of bias towards all rich/connected people who break the law".

No, no you got it wrong! It means that some police have back problems and have a 'bias' in forward bending, Ha

[lincolnshire poacher]

Shame about the pajnted portrait of the leopard, obviously the police aren't art lovers.

The masks are neat

[dinsdale]

12 hours ago, Happy enough said:

the public are getting more confident against the rich

You could say this another way. The public are sick to death of corruption. Corruption I should say that happens at all levels. Endemic. That's a good adjective that describes corruption in this country. 

Edited March 5, 2018 by dinsdale

[ikke]

"the public would lose faith in the Royal Thai Police, the government and, most importantly, the legal and justice system"

 

There is no faith in the "system" so what could harm them or it more..... idiots...

[chama]

14 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Well, they’re biased towards money. They all want their cut. These people have no loyalty to anyone but themselves. 

Words of wisdom! The current plan is to drag out the investigation until public interest dies down....then the charges will just fade away. 

[anon789561]