Premchai’s wife to face charge of possessing African elephant tusks

[webfact]

Premchai’s wife to face charge of possessing African elephant tusks

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

THE WIFE of construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta will face a charge of possessing two pairs of African elephant tusks.
 

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment General Surasak Karnjanarat yesterday pledged to proceed with the charge against Kanitla Wittayanah. 

 

He said Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) officials would inform Kanitla later this week of the charge, which is punishable by a maximum of four years in jail, a fine of Bt40,000 or both.

 

Surasak also said authorities were continuing their investigation into allegations that Premchai and three accomplices were involved in killing wildlife, including an endangered black leopard, in the Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi last month. 

 

He said the ministry had set up a committee to follow the investigation, which would meet next Monday. 

 

Pol General Jarumporn Suramanee, a Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission board member, will discuss the case with investigators in Kanchanaburi tomorrow.

 

Earlier, deputy national police commissioner Pol General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said the elephant tusks seized from Premchai’s Bangkok house last month were legally registered by his wife and that any further action regarding the tusks would be up to the DNP.

 

Srivara had already drawn a barrage of criticism after a photo appeared online showing him bowing deeply in greeting Premchai, the president of Italian-Thai Development Plc, at Thong Pha Phum police station when the latter appeared to answer poaching charges. Srivara responded to critics by saying his respectful wai to the accused had no bearing on the way the case would be investigated. 

 

Srivara added that the investigation against Premchai and the other three was not being delayed. He said the probe was 90-per-cent complete and should be concluded by March 24. 

 

Police had been waiting three weeks for the DNP’s forensic test results on meat found during Premchai’s arrest, he said. 

 

Police Forensic Science Office chief Pol Maj-General Thawatchai Mekprasertsuk said the three firearms seized from Premchai’s forest camp were confirmed to belong to Premchai. 

 

Shotgun pellets that killed the black leopard were of a type that can be loaded into a 20-gauge shotgun, which was among the guns seized.

 

The shotgun pellets that killed the animal were from a single shot fired 10 metres from the leopard, he said. The direction of the shot could not be confirmed.

 

Counter Corruption Division chief Pol Maj-General Kamol Rienracha said investigators would today interview sanctuary head Wichian Shinwong, who has been widely lauded for ignoring Premchai’s status as a wealthy executive of a large firm, concerning Premchai’s alleged attempt to bribe his way out of the arrest. 

 

“If Wichian maintains he was offered a bribe, that will be that,” Kamol said.

 

The sanctuary official’s word would be sufficient, as an audio recording of the alleged bribery had “gone missing”, he added.

 

Kamol said investigators would listen to an audio clip published online and include it in their case report. 

 

He said a “simulation” would be conducted to check whether Wichian’s claim of being offered a bribe represented grounds for further action. 

If that proves to be the case, Premchai would be summoned to face an additional charge of attempted bribery. 

 

Asked about the donation of flashlights to park officers on February 3 from Premchai’s company, Kamol said investigators would examine the intent behind the donation. 

 

An executive at the firm has said the gift was not intended as a bribe. 

 

Kamol said National Anti-Corruption Commission regulations allowed civil servants to accept gifts worth up to Bt3,000. Gifts beyond that value must be reported to a supervisor.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30340344

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-07

[davehowden]

Oh they belonged to his wife, surprised it was not the gardener or the maid!!!

[CelticBhoy]

"Premchai’s wife to face charge of possessing African elephant tusks"

 

Shame there's not a photo of her. I've never seen a woman with tusks before  . . .  

[pee paub]

Sounds like the "police investigation" is progressing as expected:

 

"saying his respectful wai to the accused had no bearing on the way the case would be investigated."

"any further action regarding the tusks would be up to the DNP."

"an audio recording of the alleged bribery had “gone missing”, he added."

"a “simulation” would be conducted to check whether Wichian’s claim of being offered a bribe represented grounds for further action."

 

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

“If Wichian maintains he was offered a bribe, that will be that,” Kamol said.

 

The sanctuary official’s word would be sufficient, as an audio recording of the alleged bribery had “gone missing”, he added.

classic; 'gone missing'; visions of primitive times when a tribal leader's son rapes some woman, and nothing subsequently happens; 

[Darcula]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Premchai’s wife to face charge of possessing African elephant tusks

 

So, she wears the elepants in the house.

[bluesofa]

37 minutes ago, Darcula said:

 

So, she wears the elepants in the house.

I bet she wears them out - out as in worn down, as opposed to going into town wearing them - although you never know. Probably wouldn't get a parking ticket - not sure who would be "charged' first?

[trainman34014]

Several 'Committee's' and 'Probes' later this is all going to be a 'Massive Misunderstanding' and these fine upstanding examples of everything good in Thai Society will be on their way unscathed.....then watch out for all the defamation charges !

[Damrongsak]

1 hour ago, CelticBhoy said:

"Premchai’s wife to face charge of possessing African elephant tusks"

 

Shame there's not a photo of her. I've never seen a woman with tusks before  . . .  

Oy!  You should see her nose! 

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, Damrongsak said:

Oy!  You should see her nose! 

tsk, tsk.

[mikebell]

So one charge shuffled off on to an underling.  All the others will disappear along with the bribe recording.  Thai Justice proceeding along well oiled tracks.

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, CelticBhoy said:

"Premchai’s wife to face charge of possessing African elephant tusks"

 

Shame there's not a photo of her. I've never seen a woman with tusks before  . . .  

If she has African elephant tusks, she must have big ears too.

Or is that just Noddy?

[jackdd]

Pol General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said the elephant tusks seized from Premchai’s Bangkok house last month were legally registered by his wife

The legally registered illegal tusks? What?

[RichardColeman]

2 hours ago, davehowden said:

Oh they belonged to his wife, surprised it was not the gardener or the maid!!!

They were unfortunately probably Thai nationals !

[thaiguzzi]

Guilty. 40k fine x 4 tusks = 160k fine. Punished. No jail time. Easy peasy, case closed. Next.

[Elkski]

Tape missing?  As in it was heard by some and put into evidence but went missing?  Wonder how much that cost?  

Not progressing we this case is. Our hope is in the college kids who won't back down.   If justice isn't served in the seemingly open shut shitty case and I hope to see an uprising.  

[Just Weird]

6 hours ago, pee paub said:

Sounds like the "police investigation" is progressing as expected:

"any further action regarding the tusks would be up to the DNP."

Sure does, she's being charged.

[connda]

This is hilarious.  The wife falls on the sword. 

[Elkski]

Simulation to see if bribery occurred?  <deleted>?

I didn't read how they could tell if African tusks.   How much is 2 pair like this worth?

[gunderhill]

22 hours ago, webfact said:

“If Wichian maintains he was offered a bribe, that will be that,”

So depending on how much he is  offered with the ultimate  price being his  life, this one will disappear also.

[Jonmarleesco]

Facing a charge for how she looks?

 

Premchai, himself, is only missing the tusks - though the similarity there would be more along the lines of a hippo.

[bluesofa]

16 hours ago, Elkski said:

Simulation to see if bribery occurred?  <deleted>?

I didn't read how they could tell if African tusks.   How much is 2 pair like this worth?

 

"Premchai’s wife to face charge of possessing African elephant tusks"

 

It's all to do with the size of the wearer's ears. If they are African elephant tusks, they must have big ears too.