Police gather evidence for civil lawsuit against tycoon

[webfact]

Police gather evidence for civil lawsuit against tycoon

By THE NATION

 

 

PUBLIC PROSECUTORS have suggested that police collect evidence to file a civil suit against a high-profile construction tycoon for allegedly damaging the ecology and environment in Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary, where he had allegedly been poaching.

 

Deputy national police chief Pol General Srivara Rangsibhramanakul said prosecutors wanted to seek financial compensation from Premchai Karnasuta, president of Italian-Thai Development firm.

 

 

The Wildlife Protection office estimated the damage to be at least Bt3 million.

 

Police will invite Wichian Shinwong, chief of the wildlife sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province, who led the raid and arrested Premchai at his campsite in early February, to give information to police concerning estimates about the damage.

 

A civil lawsuit would be the first faced by Premchai, who has already been charged on numerous criminal counts including poaching, attempted bribery, and possessing illegal guns and elephants’ tusks without a proper permit.

 

Srivara spoke after interviewing Premchai and his three companions, who were also charged after being arrested with him in the sanctuary.

The four suspects have insisted they are innocent of all the charges and denied damaging the ecosystem.

 

Premchai refused to talk to reporters as he left the police station.

 

 

All four were released on bail of Bt150,000 each. The investigation into allegations has expanded to include Premchai’s family members, as his wife has also been charged with possessing elephant tusks and his sisters accused of allegedly acquiring land illegally in northern provinces.

 

Srivara said the collection of evidence for the civil suit was expected to be finished within a few days and public prosecutors would decide whether to file charges against Premchai.

 

He added that police had handed over tusks and a musket seized from Premchai’s house to Customs officials to check their registration information.

 

The Customs Department has been asked to investigate because DNA from the tusks showed they originated from Africa, not domestic elephants as mentioned in a permit. 

 

The musket is believed to be an antique that originated in Britain.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30341441

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-22

[PatOngo]

Five million and this will all go away.

 

[cornishcarlos]

That's a face that needs a slap.... 

[Oziex1]

More evidence gathering, more time passes.

[worgeordie]

Surely he should face his criminal charges first,Civil charges

should come later, this just seems a ploy,to extract a fine from

him,and maybe the criminal charges would just go away,

regards worgeordie

[mikebell]

So when the criminal charges have been watered down to a minor misdemeanour he will be wrist-slapped for 3 million.  Thai Justice eh? 

[edwinchester]

If an old couple can get 12 years for picking mushrooms in a National Park this guy should be doing serious jail time.

[Bob12345]

This case keeps the attention nicely away from another case concerning 25 high-end wrist watches.

[Pib]

I sure hope Premchai can handle the financial burden of the fine he's probably going to get....probably going to be between Bt500 to Bt10,000.   He might have to trim costs on his next hunting trip to offset that fine.  

[Denim]

20 minutes ago, Bob12345 said:

This case keeps the attention nicely away from another case concerning 25 high-end wrist watches.

Too true. Somewhere in Thailand there is probably a room with a few ranking soldiers who's daily duty is to get on social media and stoke this case up for all it is worth. Another unit of special forces has been given the task of painting bloodied Leopards all over the place.

  The object all being to make it appear that ( quote Prayuth ) nobody is above the law and that this government believes in equal justice for all. 

Edited March 22, 2018 by Denim

[kaorop]

3 hours ago, Oziex1 said:

More evidence gathering, more time passes.

more deck shuffling, more bucks passed, more coffers filled.

more bs.

[kaorop]

19 minutes ago, Pib said:

I sure hope Premchai can handle the financial burden of the fine he's probably going to get....probably going to be between Bt500 to Bt10,000.   He might have to trim costs on his next hunting trip to offset that fine.  

he probably had bail in his pocket as loose change..

[Lupatria]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

 

 

Officer, what's for lunch? I guess you know my preferences by now, don't you?"

[jobwolf]

7 hours ago, Oziex1 said:

More evidence gathering, more time passes.

As if it happens faster somewhere else.

[canopy]

5 hours ago, edwinchester said:

If an old couple can get 12 years for picking mushrooms in a National Park this guy should be doing serious jail time.

 

The old couple were never accused nor convicted of picking mushrooms. They were convicted of illegal logging. The mushrooms and firewood defense failed. Time to consider just maybe they were guilty as charged.

 

[hanuman2543]

" and a musket seized from Premchai’s house to Customs officials to check their registration information."

 

Can't they do the same with 25 high end watches too?

 

Edited March 22, 2018 by hanuman2543

[farcanell]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

The Wildlife Protection office estimated the damage to be at least Bt3 million.

?????? he must have driven into the campsite on a fleet of bulldozers ????

[Tilacme]

L

31 minutes ago, farcanell said:

?????? he must have driven into the campsite on a fleet of bulldozers ????

You are overlooking the cost of creating the conditions for the wildlife he destroyed to recover, Bt100 mil at least.

[djayz]

If they spent too much time gathering evidence, maybe the statute of limitations will have lapsed and he, too, will get off pretty much scott free.  

[khunken]

1 hour ago, canopy said:

 

The old couple were never accused nor convicted of picking mushrooms. They were convicted of illegal logging. The mushrooms and firewood defense failed. Time to consider just maybe they were guilty as charged.

 

No they weren't. I researched this case some years ago and it was a clear case of police scapegoating.

It started with a police/ranger force going after a group of illegal loggers. The loggers escaped and the police picked up the mushroom pickers as scapegoats. The police filed illegal logging charges against them. The mushroom pickers, not knowing what they were up against,  were advised by a crooked or incompetent lawyer to plead guilty as that would halve any sentence. They got 30 years from the court, halved to 15. Subsequently their sentence has been reduced further due to activists and a little more intelligent judges.

[William T]

Billionaire released on bail 150,000 baht.

 

A gogo girl i know was caught with 1 gram of Ya Ice. Bail was set at 500,000 Bt and she got 2 years in Nong Palai.

[digger70]

10 hours ago, mikebell said:

So when the criminal charges have been watered down to a minor misdemeanour he will be wrist-slapped for 3 million.  Thai Justice eh? 

Thai Justice? what's that? Ohh Sweet fritz all.