Premchai’s aide, ex-park director give testimony in Premchai's poaching case

 

File photo : Premchai

 

Defence witnesses on Wednesday gave the testimonies in the trial of a billionaire construction tycoon accused of leading a poaching expedition that killed a black leopard in a Kanchanaburi wildlife sanctuary earlier this year.

 

Defendants Premchai Karnasuta, president of Italian-Thai Development, and his close aide Yong Dodkrau testified earlier on December 19.

 

Premchai, Yong, and two other close aides of the tycoon, Thanee Thummart and Natee Riemsan, were arrested in February after forest rangers raided their camp site inside Thung Yai Naresuan wildlife sanctuary and discovered weapons and the freshly killed carcasses of protected animals, including a black leopard.

 

The arrest of Premchai has stirred public interest due to the tycoon’s vast wealth and close connections with influential figures in government. His Italian-Thai Development company has won contracts with several governments and boasts a policy of environmental protection.

 

Many believe the tycoon will evade prosecution thanks to his personal and business connections with influential people.

 

Premchai’s lawyer Witoon Yamprai told reporters at the courthouse on Wednesday that the witnesses testifying were Premchai’s former aide Thanee Thummart and Noppadon Pruksawan, former director of the marine national park department.

 

Noppadon reportedly asked authorities to allow Premchai to enter the wildlife sanctuary for an environmental study trip.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30361157

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-26

7 minutes ago, webfact said:

The arrest of Premchai has stirred public interest due to the tycoon’s vast wealth and close connections with influential figures in government. His Italian-Thai Development company has won contracts with several governments and boasts a policy of environmental protection.

{snipped}

Noppadon Pruksawan, former director of the marine national park department.

Noppadon reportedly asked authorities to allow Premchai to enter the wildlife sanctuary for an environmental study trip.

Obviously a black panther was on his environmental study trip 'menu', but it wasn't for any sort of 'protection'.

Anywhere else in the world and this case would have been done and dusted within a few days. But not in Thailand; this could go on for a few years rather than a few days.

Give how the accused is a high profile business man I expect there is a lot of toing and froing of envelopes between the defendants, the witnesses, the police, wildlife officers and the judiciary which takes up the time. 

I predict the outcome will be various Police, Judges and other officials getting fatter while Premchai gets thinner.

1 hour ago, Oziex1 said:

I predict the outcome will be various Police, Judges and other officials getting fatter while Premchai gets thinner.

He doesnt look like he's getting thinner. Im sure he's keeping his chins up though!

When all's said & done; when all the appeals have ground through the Thai Justice swamp, he'll only get a paltry fine.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Noppadon reportedly asked authorities to allow Premchai to enter the wildlife sanctuary for an environmental study trip.

looking for  another black panther?

Verdict In Black Panther Trial Set For March

By Jintamas Saksornchai, Staff Reporter

 

Premchai Karnasuta, far left, on Feb. 5 sits in the campsite where he was found with the remains of a leopard, panther and other wildlife in the Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province.

 

KANCHANABURI — The verdict in the black panther poaching case will be delivered in March after the trial concluded today with the last defendant taking the stand.

 

Prosecutors said both sides will file their final statements to the Thong Pha Phum Provincial Court in Kanchanaburi province by Jan. 25. The court on Wednesday scheduled the date for its ruling at 9am on March 19.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2018/12/26/verdict-in-black-panther-trial-set-for-march/

 

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-12-26

 

25 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

The court on Wednesday scheduled the date for its ruling at 9am on March 19.

Premchai must need a lot of time to raise that much cash to buy the right verdict.

2 hours ago, mikebell said:

When all's said & done; when all the appeals have ground through the Thai Justice swamp, he'll only get a paltry fine.

 

Maybe even some kind of award for being kind to animals....

40 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Verdict In Black Panther Trial Set For March

By Jintamas Saksornchai, Staff Reporter

 

Premchai Karnasuta, far left, on Feb. 5 sits in the campsite where he was found with the remains of a leopard, panther and other wildlife in the Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province.

 

 

Let me guess the ultimate story -- the black panther, being cold out in the wilderness, just came along and suddenly jumped into the cooking pot of the assembled group, just to take a nice warm bath enroute to being chopped up and eaten.

 

 

They should give him a choice, either give all his wealth away to environmental causes and spend 20 years in jail, or we give him the option to enter a room with a large Black Leopard male (close to equal size as fatty - and both of them are not allowed to eat for a week), if he comes out alive, we'll let him go, if not the Leopard will have been fed and happy. 

All I going to say is, thankfully he did not want the locals to get him a mushroom sauce to enhance the meal.

Premchai ruling to come March 16, while latest witnesses a no-show

By THE NATION

 

File photo: Premchai Karnasuta

 

A COURT in Kanchaburi province yesterday set March to deliver a ruling on the much-talked-about trial against a construction billionaire who is accused of poaching in a wildlife sanctuary.

 

The decision was made after the Court in Thong Pa Phum district finished the defendants’ witness hearings.

Lawyers for both sides are scheduled to deliver closing statements by January 25 and the Court set March 16 at 9am to announce the sentence. 

 

The first defendant in the case was Premchai Karnasuta, the top executive of Italian-Thai Development company listed on Thailand’s stock market.

 

Premchai and three others defendants who are his close aides were arrested at their campsite in Thung Yai Naresuan wildlife sanctuary in Kanchanaburi in early February.

 

The three others were Premchai’s close aide Yong, his driver Thanee Thummart, and cook Natee Riemsan.

 

The discovery of freshly-butchered protected animals, including a black leopard, caused public outrage, particularly after early reports suggested he might have gained access to the site due to personal connections with authorities.

 

The tycoon and other defendants were accused in a series of charges relating to poaching. Netizens wondered whether the accused would go unpunished due to Premchai’s close contact with people in high places.

 

Many civil networks and non-governmental organisations have therefore come out to campaign against Premchai and demanded that the authorities refrain from helping him evade prosecution.

 

“Don’t let the black leopard die for nothing,” was among the most shared campaigns on social network platforms.

His Italian-Thai Development company has won contracts with several governments and boasts a policy of environmental protection.

 

A prominent public sentiment is that the tycoon will evade prosecution or conviction thanks to his personal and business connections with influential people.

 

Premchai’s lawyer Witoon Yamprai told reporters at the courthouse yesterday that the witnesses testifying initially would be Premchai’s former aide Thanee Thummart and Noppadon Pruksawan, former director of the Marine National Parks Department.

 

Noppadon reportedly asked authorities to allow Premchai to enter the wildlife sanctuary for an “environmental study” trip.

 

However Thanee and Noppadon failed to appear in the Court/ Witoon said Thanee suffered from high blood pressure while he did not give reasons for Noppadon’s absence.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30361195

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-27

The likely outcome of this rulings will be jail sentences whereby Premchai will use every tricks and influences he have to delay commencing his actual sentence by years until the case will get old and forgotten... 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

However Thanee and Noppadon failed to appear in the Court/ Witoon said Thanee suffered from high blood pressure while he did not give reasons for Noppadon’s absence.

thai justice playing out right in front of us

Wow, the key witnesses for the defendant Premchai didn't show up. That is a strong message.

 

Looking at him in the picture he's not a very good advert for the efficacy of panther parts is he?

The absence of one witness on medical grounds and the other on yet to be decided reasons may be grounds for a new trial or dismissal of charges. After years of delays the government's own witnesses may recant or dissappear. 

How many poaching cases have gone to court and have been cleared with speedy sentences for the poachers during the time this case drags along?

 

Two tiered justice at work.
Tier one for 'special people', and

Tier two for everyone else.

1 hour ago, 1duckyboy said:

The absence of one witness on medical grounds and the other on yet to be decided reasons may be grounds for a new trial or dismissal of charges. After years of delays the government's own witnesses may recant or dissappear. 

This is how it's done peoples!  Listen: "฿฿฿Cha-Ching฿฿฿"  And the problem disappears!

1 hour ago, connda said:

How many poaching cases have gone to court and have been cleared with speedy sentences for the poachers during the time this case drags along?

 

Two tiered justice at work.
Tier one for 'special people', and

Tier two for everyone else.

'Special people'? More like 'special needs'

2 hours ago, connda said:

How many poaching cases have gone to court and have been cleared with speedy sentences for the poachers during the time this case drags along?

 

Two tiered justice at work.
Tier one for 'special people', and

Tier two for everyone else.

Hopefully when or if the people rise up to take back their country, they have a list of HI-SO's, illegal leaders, and other criminals to hang.

I didn't realise that he was so popular:

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=jabba+the+hutt&rlz=1C1CHBF_enTH819TH819&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj03r7DtL_fAhVIdCsKHdIbBnkQ_AUIDigB&biw=1280&bih=913

On 12/26/2018 at 7:08 AM, webfact said:

His Italian-Thai Development company has won contracts with several governments

He didn't won them, he just had the fattest brown envelope.

1 minute ago, Vacuum said:

He didn't won them, he just had the fattest brown envelope.

They seem two very relevant words there.

6 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

Looking at him in the picture he's not a very good advert for the efficacy of panther parts is he?

Well, at least he didn't need his walking stick...

2 hours ago, ocddave said:

Hopefully when or if the people rise up to take back their country, they have a list of HI-SO's, illegal leaders, and other criminals to hang.

Do they have that much rope? 

On 12/26/2018 at 5:00 AM, nikmar said:

He doesnt look like he's getting thinner. Im sure he's keeping his chins up though!

Black leopards are very fattening.

what kind of "environmental study" involves the killing and eating of a black leopard?