Premchai declares his innocence amid taunts about ‘delicious’ leopard meat

By KANATHIT SRIHIRANDEJ 
KESINEE TANGKHIEO 
THE NATION

 

Premchai Karnasuta, centre, president of the Italian-Thai Development company, stands during a meeting with police yesterday to acknowledge three additional charges, including attempted bribery and possession of tusks.

 

EMBATTLED construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta yesterday insisted that he was innocent of involvement in the much-publicised killing of a black leopard found at his campsite in a wildlife sanctuary, adding that he was upset that the public thought he was the killer.

 

“I’m not killer of the black leopard. I am sorry that the society views it that way. The truth will be known in court,” he said.

 

 

He later told reporters that “the case has highly frustrated me and had a bad effect on me”.

 

 

Premchai, the president of Italian-Thai Development Plc, was arrested with three others in February at his campsite in Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province. Wildlife officials also seized hunting rifles and a shotgun as well as the remains of the butchered black leopard, a pheasant and a barking deer.

 

 

They also found a pot on a campfire, which a forensic examination later determined contained a soup made from the leopard’s tail.

 

The tycoon and his three companions were charged with nine poaching-related counts, all of which they denied. 

 

The story and photos of the butchered leopard have since gone viral on social media, eliciting outrage from many quarters of society and calls for a serious and transparent prosecution of the billionaire.

 

 

Premchai appeared in public yesterday for the first time since he was released on bail to hear three additional charges of possession of African elephant tusks without a permit, possession of illegal guns and attempted bribery.

 

 

He said he was not guilty of killing the leopard or of the three additional charges before he was escorted to a court on Rachadapisek Road. Premchai was then released on Bt300,000 bail with the condition that he could not travel abroad.

 

 

As Premchai was walking with his lawyer before applying for bail, a man was heard yelling: “Is leopard meat delicious?” Premchai did not respond. 

 

Meanwhile, a small group of protesters waited for Premchai in the court building and showed him a placard that read “Save Wildlife” and photos of a black leopard.

 

Meanwhile, deputy national police chief Pol General Srivara Rangsibhramanakul told reporters that police would ask Department of Fine Arts officials to inspect a musket seized from Premchai’s house in Bangkok to see if it is an artefact or antique.

 

 

“If the officials consider it as either one, Khun [Mr] Premchai can be charged with violating the Historic Sites and Artefacts Act,” Srivara, the chief investigator in the case, said.

 

Referring to the elephant tusks, which had been registered as coming from Thai elephants but proved to be of African origin, Srivara said police would determine whether they were stolen, which might result in new charges against Premchai of receiving stolen objects.

 

The tusks were registered under the name of Premchai’s wife, Kanittha Karnasuta, who will report to police next Tuesday. 

 

Police had to be careful investigating the case because Premchai could potentially sue the authorities, Srivara added.

 

Apparently to counter criticism that he had taken sides with Premchai, Srivara said the law treated people equally regardless of their wealth. “Under the law, there is only an offender or an innocent person,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, counter-corruption division chief Pol Maj-General Kamon Rienracha said a charge of attempted bribery had already been lodged against Premchai.

 

Police will seek another interview with Premchai to make the case “airtight”, Kamon said.

 

Meanwhile, Somchai Na Nakhon Panom, an archaeologist at the Fine Arts Department, said the musket could be from the period of King Rama V, which he believed qualified it as an artefact, and probably had been made in Britain.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30340937

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-15

What a nasty piece of work.

" and probably had been made in Britain. "

 

Ah, I can see where this is going, next summons the UK Ambassador and lodge a complaint for there being no import documentation, 20 years in Thai jail my man. 

25 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

He later told reporters that “the case has highly frustrated me and had a bad effect on me”.

 

That's just teeing up the situation in the next quote...

 

27 minutes ago, webfact said:

Police had to be careful investigating the case because Premchai could potentially sue the authorities, Srivara added.

 

 

 

27 minutes ago, webfact said:

the law treated people equally regardless of their wealth. “Under the law, there is only an offender or an innocent person,” he said.

 

Another interview... Make the case "airthight" to benefit who exactly ??

 

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

Police will seek another interview with Premchai to make the case “airtight”, Kamon said.

 

 

Finally, how many leopards did he eat ?? His face is massive :)

i really can't believe he's denying it, or maybe i should believe it. really interesting to see what his sentence will be, there's no way the court can not find him guilty. oh wait i forgot where i am for a minute there

Little bit late for a denial, though no doubt part of the "fix" that is going to be put in place.

Anyone doubting he will be found not guilty on serious charges, but guilty of minor misdemeanours involving a small fine should consider themselves delusional.

He is not going to jail because he is a Hi-So with enough cash to ensure jail time does not happen.

Welcome to Thailand folks.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He later told reporters that “the case has highly frustrated me and had a bad effect on me”.

 

Not as bad as the black panther though.

4 minutes ago, Darcula said:

 

Not as bad as the black panther though.

had to look this up, i know. what a life of intrigue i lead.

"A black panther is the melanistic color variant of any big cat species. Blackpanthers in Asia and Africa are leopards (Panthera pardus), and those in the Americas are black jaguars (Panthera onca)."

Just another overweight, entitled, above the law citizen whom will flee the country on the eve of his imprisonment.  Money talks - the guilty walks!

3 minutes ago, Prairieboy said:

Just another overweight, entitled, above the law citizen whom will flee the country on the eve of his imprisonment.  Money talks - the guilty walks!

imprisonment? don't think so mate. fine and suspended sentence at most i reckon

Not sure what to make of this, the public are FURIOUS about this, probably the most so I have seen in my years here. This fat idiot is going to have to plead guilty as the evidence is too strong and he'll have to change his plea at the last minute because the court WILL find him guilty of everything.

 

The only thing I can see as an out for this guy is that the trial date will be ages from now, and with so many charges it will become such a long, drawm out affair that any verdict will be years from now & the public anger will have switched to something else as fresh scandals are a dish served up on an almost daily basis in this country 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Apparently to counter criticism that he had taken sides with Premchai, Srivara said the law treated people equally regardless of their wealth. “Under the law, there is only an offender or an innocent person,” he said.

Yeah, and how can it even be considered that a man sitting at a camp sight with a freshly butchered leopard and a cooking bowl of leopard tial soup, together with collected DNA and probably the rifle that was used during the shooting can be innocent?

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Srivara said the law treated people equally regardless of their wealth.

I believe you. The rest of Thailand, however..... is 

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

Little bit late for a denial, though no doubt part of the "fix" that is going to be put in place.

Anyone doubting he will be found not guilty on serious charges, but guilty of minor misdemeanours involving a small fine should consider themselves delusional.

He is not going to jail because he is a Hi-So with enough cash to ensure jail time does not happen.

Welcome to Thailand folks.

What?

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

“the case has highly frustrated me and had a bad effect on me”.

well then, don't do illegal things; strange admission of guilt, thailand-style, is the absence of a defamation suit against the seemingly heroic park ranger who caught him and rejected the bribe

Deny deny deny, 

eventually you may believe the DNA from his stool test,

Fatty should sue his tailor 

It looks like when the case goes to court,that the cook

will take the blame for killing the black Panther,and will

be amply rewarded by his boss for the inconvenience 

of having to do time,the court will except the plea,without

question.

That's how I see it ending,

regards worgeordie

That could work with a few of the charges. However, many charges are specific against Premchai that cannot be pinned on the others like his illegal guns, bribe, etc. I've lost count how many charges there are and they just piled on 3 more according to this story. The evidence is so rock solid his only way out is to make a plea-agreement/deal rather than go to court. The sweetness of the deal being a function of the money forked out during the negotiation. How about agreeing to a 30 year jail sentence to appease the masses, then released for good behavior after one day. I am sure everything is being worked out as we speak. It is not a good sign he already donated flashlights to the forestry department which surely was a sign of good faith and rather then being returned to sender like they should have been, they were accepted. As the police are saying, this is going to be an air tight case, thus I would love for the police to step out and say "no plea deals will be accepted for this case". That would be worthy of great applause to see this guy nailed to the wall in court, but then I wake up.

 

I watched the perp walk on the local TV news last night. It was rough.

 

I can't honestly say I've ever seen such a public display of an ultra HiSo being treated without the respect that he is due because of his birthright.

 

I'm amazed that this situation has gotten this far, clearly the public opinion - perhaps as a result of the overbearing nature of the Junta, or social media, or just the public getting sick of seeing their betters get away with so much - has reached an inflection point.

 

He probably should have done a better job managing the situation in the early hours after his Penis Soup repaste? I assume he's been having his way for so long he probably wasn't in tune with the changing times?

 

What's the Kingdom coming to?

 

 

3 hours ago, Happy enough said:

i really can't believe he's denying it, or maybe i should believe it. really interesting to see what his sentence will be, there's no way the court can not find him guilty. oh wait i forgot where i am for a minute there

If Thai courts can find the obviously innocent Burmese Two of Koh Tao guilty - when there is literally not a shred of provable evidence, DNA or eyewitness accounts to indicate they are the rapists and murderers of the two British tourists - then Thai courts can let this disgusting, loathesome lump of lard (who makes Prawit look handsome!) off lightly and essentially declare that it was 'all a misunderstanding'!

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Premchai was then released on Bt300,000 bail with the condition that he could not travel abroad.

I wonder if asking for his passport was even considered?

An odd and cynical thought I know but I recon a few of theses cops and other officials involved are absolutely rolling on the floor laughing at the honesty of the noble ranger who refused Premchai offer. 

4 minutes ago, Oziex1 said:

An odd and cynical thought I know but I recon a few of theses cops and other officials involved are absolutely rolling on the floor laughing at the honesty of the noble ranger who refused Premchai offer. 

 

If only because the noble ranger is more than likely going to end up digging his own shallow grave, in one of the more remote parts of Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary.

 

 

He's either lost some weight, borrowed that suit or his tailor is charging him by the yard !

5 hours ago, webfact said:

“the case has highly frustrated me and had a bad effect on me”.

I'ld say his entire (way of) life has had a bad effect on him.

I think it will come down to the authorities being unable to prove he actually pulled the trigger. As a result, he will not be charged for killing a protected species, but the less serious charges of trespass. The  attempted bribery charge will probably get slung too. 

10-1 The guys with him will be charged and he will skate.

 

4 minutes ago, garyk said:

10-1 The guys with him will be charged and he will skate.

 

Yes - or he will do a runner, like glorious Red Bull Boy (and no genuine effort will be made to capture him) ...

I notice on the new Sky Train project near me all the hundreds of Italian Thai signs have now been reversed so they are no longer visible.

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