Suspects in forest case get bail after additional charge slapped on them

By SUPHOT KAEWKASI 
THE NATION

 

 

THE HEAD of Kanchanaburi’s Sai Yok National Park yesterday submitted more evidence to police to file an additional charge against former deputy chief of Dan Makham Tia district, Watcharachai Sameerak, and 10 others for conspiracy to fire a gun in a national park.

 

The 11 suspects, who have been accused of camping out overnight and shooting a binturong in the park over the weekend, maintained their innocence. 

 

Following the filing of the additional charge under the Firearms Act, they were sent in the afternoon to appear in front of a court for the first 12-day detention order. Overall, they face 10 conspiracy charges. 

 

The court judge later approved the release on bail for Bt200,000 in cash or collateral for each of the 11 suspects.

 

 

Park chief Panatchakorn Phothibandhit presented police the hair and jaw believed to be of the slain binturong and reportedly collected in the campsite area during the officials’ scene inspection on Monday. He later requested police permission to take these items to the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department (DNP)’s lab to test whether they were from the slain binturong. 

 

 

Panatchakorn also said officials had collected 31 spent cartridges near the area where they arrested the suspects, which convinced police that the suspects had tossed them while emerging from the forest. This was deemed sufficient grounds to file the additional charge of conspiracy to fire a gun in a national park. 

 

Forensic police would later check which guns were used and who fired them, Panatchakorn said. 

 

He dismissed the suspects’ claim of securing a senior official’s permission to camp in the forest as untrue.

 

 

Meanwhile, DNP spokesman Somphot Maneerat said officials, during their visit on Monday to the forest area, especially near the Wat Tao Dam monastic centre where the suspects had claimed to have stayed overnight, had found the lower jaw of a binturong, bones, a cooking pot and empty beer cans. Officials also retrieved spent cartridges from a spot one kilometre away from the place of the suspects’ arrest, he said, vowing DNP officials would work with police to bring the wildlife hunters to justice.

 

 

Binturongs – protected by the Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act, B.E. 2535 (1992) – are near extinction, he said. The animals, also known as ‘bear cats’, were driven by human activities to retreat deep into the fertile forest such as this area where the 11 suspects had allegedly camped and killed the animal.

 

The arrest on Sunday also led to the temporary dismissal from civil service of the 41-year-old deputy chief of Kanchanaburi’s Dan Makham Tia district office, Watcharachai Sameerak, and suspension from work without pay of two fellow campers who are defence volunteers.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30356136

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-10

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The 11 suspects, who have been accused of camping out overnight and shooting a binturong in the park over the weekend, maintained their innocence. 

Their cars are set up for serious off road-ing. Been there before, maybe?

 

Its like one hand clapping, did anyone see them shooting the gun? Then how could it happen. Most logical form of defence. 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

empty beer cans.

Add littering

Well.....of course the were granted bail.

Wouldn't expect anything less.

25 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Well.....of course the were granted bail.

Wouldn't expect anything less.

 

Of course they were, stands to reason, now if for instance they were penniless serfs stealing mushrooms in the forest that would be an altogether different issue cannot have the peasants getting uppity.......

 

Last we will hear of this then.....same as a certain overweight businessman a few months ago.

4 hours ago, kannot said:

7 hours ago, webfact said:

empty beer cans.

Add littering

And bringing alcohol into a national park, now it's been banned.

 

1 hour ago, bluesofa said:

And bringing alcohol into a national park, now it's been banned.

 

Can also add vehicle  offence as the  tyres /wheels  on the  car are  wider than the actual   body which i think's  illegal too.

Look like 0.45 calibre cases

12 hours ago, webfact said:

The 11 suspects, who have been accused of camping out overnight and shooting a binturong in the park over the weekend, maintained their innocence. 

Sounds very familiar to another episode of shooting an endangered animal.  However, one of those was of a higher social profile and appears as if his charges have been dropped, unless I am mistaken, as that affair has not reared its head for a long time.

 

'nuf sed

Well, if they had been picking mushrooms then it would have been bad...but hacked off animal paws plus a high powered hunting rifle with a noise suppressor is fine, no drama. It's pathetic really.

Edited October 10, 20187 yr by Sir Dude

The Authorities seem to be taking these cases,more seriously

than some of the murder victims,lots of people involved,forensics,

high profile,all for which is going to be a slap on the wrist,better

check their homes too for trophies. 

 

regards worgeordie

Edited October 10, 20187 yr by worgeordie

10 hours ago, worgeordie said:

The Authorities seem to be taking these cases,more seriously

than some of the murder victims,lots of people involved,forensics,

high profile,all for which is going to be a slap on the wrist,better

check their homes too for trophies. 

 

regards worgeordie

and result is ????

please people, this country has a law where if you recompense the victim ie money, and it is accepted criminal proceedings are negated

 

I THINK 

Edited October 10, 20187 yr by cookieqw