Tycoon, wife and close aide deny African-ivory charges

[webfact]

Tycoon, wife and close aide deny African-ivory charges

By The Nation

 

 

PREMCHAI KARNASUTA, the embattled CEO of the Italian-Thai Development company, accompanied by his wife Kanitha and her close aide Wandee Sompoom, reported to a judge at Bangkok’s Ratchadapisek Criminal Court yesterday morning to deny a charge of illegal possession of African ivory tusks.

 

Premchai allowed to travel overseas 

 

All three denied any wrongdoing and were released on bail of Bt300,000 each. Premchai, who is nominally barred from travelling overseas, sought and received permission from the court to make a two-day business trip to India on May 10-11.

 

 “I have denied all charges,” Premchai said after the appearance. “I admit I am now worried.” 

 

The court arranged for a further review of evidence and witnesses to be held on June 25 at 1.30pm regarding the possession of illegal ivory. 

 

The ivory tusks were seized from Premchai’s house in Bangkok along with 43 guns, after an investigation stemming from his arrest in early February in a Kanchanaburi wildlife sanctuary. 

 

Premchai also faces seven charges related to poaching in the sanctuary, after his group were found with the carcass of a black leopard and other dead animals.

 

Kanitha was identified as the person who had registered the ivory – which was later deemed to be tusks taken from African elephants – with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. Wandee is accused of countersigning the registration application as a witness, to falsely verify that the tusks were from local elephants.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30344818

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-08

[worgeordie]

Pleads not guilty, BUT the tusks were found in HIS house,

and the Panther committed suicide by jumping in front of 

his gun....pathetic.the rich always plead not guilty,as they 

can always see a way to wriggle out of the charges,

regards worgeordie

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Kanitha was identified as the person who had registered the ivory – which was later deemed to be tusks taken from African elephants – with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. Wandee is accused of countersigning the registration application as a witness, to falsely verify that the tusks were from local elephants.

the tusks are illegal, they clearly possessed them and even tried to register them making high grade evidence of their possession; case closed: guilty

[rkidlad]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Premchai, who is nominally barred from travelling overseas, sought and received permission from the court to make a two-day business trip to India

What else is he ‘nominally’ barred from

doing? 

 

What a joke. 

[PatOngo]

Just another Thai soap opera, when will the ladyboy appear?

[mikebell]

The latest story is the tusks were inherited - presumably from a dead friend.  Everyone is using the Prawit excuse until someone comes up with another tale.

[Darcula]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

“I admit I am now worried.” 

 

Go on a hunt. Shoot a panda or two. It's great stress relief, at least for the panda.

 

 

[Misterwhisper]

Ah, the rich and their perverted sense of what is right and what is wrong. They are never guilty of anything no matter how crushing the evidence against them turns out to be.

 

I also fail to understand how the courts in this country can continue permitting these people to go on overseas trips when they are facing such an extensive line-up of serious charges as Premchai does. It sometimes seems they actually WANT them to abscond so they don’t have to be bothered to actually try the case.

 

And what it is with these ridiculously low bail bonds they impose on the rich all the time anyway? 300,000 Baht is merely pocket money for Premchai.

 

“I admit I am now worried,” he is quoted in the OP as saying. You don’t need to be, Mr. Premchai. India is not that bad a place to live in as a fugitive from the law with the sort of money you without doubt have spirited away in various offshore accounts. Forget about those 300,000 Baht. You won’t be any less wealthy without them. Just exchange a few Line messages with the Red Bull heir, Thaksin or Wattana Asavahame. I am sure they’ll be happy to tell you all about how comfortable living a life away from Thailand can be. Have a nice trip.

[Misterwhisper]

48 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Just another Thai soap opera, when will the ladyboy appear?

Patience, my friend. He'll appear soon, just before the fat lady sings.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Misterwhisper

[Misterwhisper]

26 minutes ago, mikebell said:

The latest story is the tusks were inherited - presumably from a dead friend.  Everyone is using the Prawit excuse until someone comes up with another tale.

Yup, unfortunately the other standard excuse - brake failure - doesn't work in cases like this.

[PatOngo]

6 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

And what it is with these ridiculously low bail bonds they impose on the rich all the time anyway? 300,000 Baht is merely pocket money for Premchai.

I think it's called Thainess!

[sammieuk1]

Sure there will a dead friend and owner of elephant tusks lurking for total clarification now widely available at alibis are us. 

[Get Real]

Maybe, if they only concentrate on the original case it would have a chance to be over and done with before the tycoon suddenly grow wings a flees the country with his family.
At this pace he has already been given the time to build 3 new houses in 2 different continents.

[Tradewind777]

What a circus: making a complete sham out of the Thai legal system that will ultimately allow them to slip the net of justice.

[The Deerhunter]

2 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Just another Thai soap opera, when will the ladyboy appear?

I think several already backed into the room.  Rear end first, if you get my drift.

[Misterwhisper]

11 minutes ago, Tradewind777 said:

What a circus: making a complete sham out of the Thai legal system that will ultimately allow them to slip the net of justice.

What irony that the Thai legal system in itself actually IS a sham.

[Misterwhisper]

11 minutes ago, Tradewind777 said:

What a circus: making a complete sham out of the Thai legal system that will ultimately allow them to slip the net of justice.

What irony that the Thai legal system in itself actually IS a sham.

[d2b2]

The tusks were borrowed from dead watch collector friend. End of issue. His sisters weren’t encroaching in public land... they were gardening.

[klauskunkel]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

“I have denied all charges,” Premchai said after the appearance. “I admit I am now worried.” 

Why worry? After all, you've got a "close aid" already prepped and ready to fall.

[Misterwhisper]

52 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

Why worry? After all, you've got a "close aid" already prepped and ready to fall.

"Close aide", in other cultures also known as a "scapegoat" or "fall guy".

[Juan B Tong]

Of course this gang of rich, ugly, hi-sos are pleading not guilty.

 

Pleading guilty isn't much of a basis to build a long protracted defense on.

 

 

[Moti24]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Premchai, who is nominally barred from travelling overseas, sought and received permission from the court to make a two-day business trip to India on May 10-11.

He's probably trying his luck with Indian Elephants, being as stockpiling African Elephant tusks has dropped him in the shit.  Just proves he doesn't give a toss; he'll do what he wants to do, when he wants to do it, and no Thai court is going to stop him.

 

What a ****in pathetic justice system!

[Oziex1]

3 hours ago, Tradewind777 said:

What a circus: making a complete sham out of the Thai legal system that will ultimately allow them to slip the net of justice.

It is the Thai legal system that is a sham designed for the use of those like Premchai.

[Mitker]

7 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

(...)

It sometimes seems they actually WANT them to abscond so they don’t have to be bothered to actually try the case.

 (...)

many would say you can drop the first 3 words

[williet98248]

8 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Pleads not guilty, BUT the tusks were found in HIS house,

and the Panther committed suicide by jumping in front of 

his gun....pathetic.the rich always plead not guilty,as they 

can always see a way to wriggle out of the charges,

regards worgeordie

It is rare for anyone, anywhere in the world, caught red handed or not, to plead guilty.  Pleading guilty means you don't get a trial, don't get any plea bargains, don't get to plead extenuating circumstances and get the maximum sentence.  No lawyer worth his fee would counsel his client to plead guilty.  Only in Thailand (that I am aware of) does pleading guilty get your sentence halved.  And he can do that later if it looks like the hammer is heavy.  Meanwhile the cover up is always more costly than the crime.  He should have said, "I did it, so sorry, never do it again.  Really.  Honest.  Cross my heart."  How much is that fine again?   Will you accept a check?"  He would have walked away.

[ratcatcher]

58 minutes ago, williet98248 said:

It is rare for anyone, anywhere in the world, caught red handed or not, to plead guilty.  Pleading guilty means you don't get a trial, don't get any plea bargains, don't get to plead extenuating circumstances and get the maximum sentence.  No lawyer worth his fee would counsel his client to plead guilty.  Only in Thailand (that I am aware of) does pleading guilty get your sentence halved.  And he can do that later if it looks like the hammer is heavy.  Meanwhile the cover up is always more costly than the crime.  He should have said, "I did it, so sorry, never do it again.  Really.  Honest.  Cross my heart."  How much is that fine again?   Will you accept a check?"  He would have walked away.

 "He should have said, "I did it, so sorry, never do it again.  Really.  Honest.  Cross my heart."  How much is that fine again?   Will you accept a check?"  He would have walked away.'

IMO you are absolutely correct, but I'm afraid him being a Thaicoon pleading guilty, saying sorry, very soory 3 times etc is just not his style.

[Baerboxer]

11 hours ago, YetAnother said:

the tusks are illegal, they clearly possessed them and even tried to register them making high grade evidence of their possession; case closed: guilty

 

There's no such thing as an "open and shut" case in Thailand.

 

All that money - the more money the more angles that must be considered and the more sticky fingers!

[Artisi]

14 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Just another Thai soap opera, when will the ladyboy appear?

I'm waiting for the fat lady to sing -  oop's that western opera,  --  how about if the ladyboy sings instead. 

[Artisi]

2 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

There's no such thing as an "open and shut" case in Thailand.

 

All that money - the more money the more angles that must be considered and the more sticky fingers!

doesn't it shut when the accumulated weight of the brown envelopes and lunch boxes exceeds the combined weight of the evidence.

[Mad mick]

Live Off Destruction of Wildlife , Grubby Corrupt Trashy <deleted> Couple