Premchai and wife in court over tusk charges

By The Nation

 

Photo : kunlaphun Siripimamporn

 

Premchai Karnasuta, the president of construction firm Italian-Thai Development who faces charges centred on illegal poaching in a Kanchanaburi wildlife sanctuary, appeared in Criminal Court in Bangkok on Monday on separate charges of smuggling and illegally possessing two pairs of tusks from African elephants.
 

Premchai, his wife Khanitta and an associate, Wandee Somphum, have all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

 

Police found the tusks while searching Premchai’s Bangkok home in February last year after he was arrested in Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in possession of a rifle and animal parts.

 

Khanitta’s registration documents for the tusks identified them as coming from domestic elephants, but investigators determined they came from African elephants, and the couple had no permit to import ivory.

 

Khanitta argued that the tusks were a family inheritance. 

 

Wandee was charged with giving false witness to Khanitta’s registration papers.

 

The trial continues.

 

Premchai arrived at the court using a walking stick, while his wife held a large envelope to her face to hide from photographers.

 

Billionaire Premchai’s arrest at a forest campsite with carcasses of protected animals including a black leopard triggered a public outcry. 

 

Both cases are being keenly watched in the expectation that his wealth and connections to influential figures will eventually help him evade punishment.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30362623

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-01-21

This just gets worse for these two.

If the allegations are true, international sanctions can apply.

Gotta love the wife's idea. 

Shielded with a brown envelope, works most of the time. 

2 hours ago, Oziex1 said:

Gotta love the wife's idea. 

Shielded with a brown envelope, works most of the time. 

That's a very thin envelope though ????

 

3 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

This just gets worse for these two.

If the allegations are true, international sanctions can apply.

This case has certainly shaken them in their "Ivory Tower"!!

If it's one thing I hate, it's a poacher. I spent my entire life hunting and fishing, paid my fees and followed the rules, e even when they were ridiculous or so complicated I can leave the gun at home and just take a camera. anybody that kills a wild animal outside of the rules established is a scumbag to the nth degree

This'll drag on for ages.....then apologies all round.

1 hour ago, kotsak said:

That's a very thin envelope though ????

 

Does it make her look fat?

11 hours ago, LPCustom69 said:

Does it make her look fat?

his facial photo resembles bloated fat pig heart attack victim in the making

Edited January 21, 20197 yr by Mad mick

17 hours ago, webfact said:

while his wife held a large envelope to her face to hide from photographers.

rather see her face and he had his face covered

17 hours ago, webfact said:

Khanitta argued that the tusks were a family inheritance

That story has a familiar ring to it. A similar excuse has been used before with some success.

No harm in trying it again given the precedent has been set by a very senior politician.

Edited January 21, 20197 yr by Cadbury

14 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

If it's one thing I hate, it's a poacher. I spent my entire life hunting and fishing, paid my fees and followed the rules, e even when they were ridiculous or so complicated I can leave the gun at home and just take a camera. anybody that kills a wild animal outside of the rules established is a scumbag to the nth degree

Yes sir , as an enviornmentalist ,I too hate these predetors...

If it's one thing I hate, it's a poacher. I spent my entire life hunting and fishing, paid my fees and followed the rules, e even when they were ridiculous or so complicated I can leave the gun at home and just take a camera. anybody that kills a wild animal outside of the rules established is a scumbag to the nth degree

All wildlife is precious! There is no excuse for killing any wild animal with or without a permit, just to satisfy a human bloodlust! Anyone who shoots a fellow creature on this earth needs help! Shame on you. All guns should be banned!

Sent from my Lenovo A3000-H using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

1 minute ago, graemeaylward said:

All wildlife is precious! There is no excuse for killing any wild animal with or without a permit, just to satisfy a human bloodlust! Anyone who shoots a fellow creature on this earth needs help! Shame on you. All guns should be banned!

 

How'd you like that last hamburger?

 

You gotta hand it to the authorities. If it were a poor person that got caught hunting they would never go rummaging through their house looking for illegalities like they did with this rich, powerful figure. They are really throwing the book at him and with two charges now in trial it shows Premchai can't buy his way out of anything.

 

 

3 hours ago, Mad mick said:

his facial photo resembles bloated fat pig heart attack victim in the making

I honestly can't see him in a jungle camp with prohibited animal parts.

Unless he was winched in by helicopter.

I doubt his fat fingers would allow him to get inside the trigger guard.

Sure it can be plausibly explained so any Thai court understand it our twin pet mammoth's died with mysterious holes and were to big for the BBQ might be a start????  

Premchai Karma Sutra?

16 hours ago, kotsak said:

That's a very thin envelope though ????

 

Yes, well the contents of the envelope had already been delivered.

3 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Yes, well the contents of the envelope had already been delivered.

At least she is into recycling ????

2 hours ago, graemeaylward said:

All wildlife is precious! There is no excuse for killing any wild animal with or without a permit, just to satisfy a human bloodlust! Anyone who shoots a fellow creature on this earth needs help! Shame on you. All guns should be banned!

Sent from my Lenovo A3000-H using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

How much have you spent on Wildlife Conservation over the past 40 years. Ive probably spent $5,000 plus a year in taxes and fees. 

 

You want to help wildlife? Go to the Alaska Deartment of Fish and Game Website and buy a tag as a non resident for every big game animal. That should drop a few grand in the wildlife coffers. And then head over to your local Cabelas and maybe pick up a new Blaser Double rifle at about $50,000. 11% of that goes to Pittman Robinson conservation funds. You can toss then rifle away after if you want.

 

I find your post insulting. There is a difference between a legitimate hunter and a poacher like Mr. Premchai. Save the vitriol for him.

18 hours ago, kotsak said:

That's a very thin envelope though ????

 

maybe the cash cheque isn't.

20 hours ago, Oziex1 said:

Gotta love the wife's idea. 

Shielded with a brown envelope, works most of the time. 

she started out with a large lunch box, but guess what happened to it?

4 hours ago, Cadbury said:

That story has a familiar ring to it. A similar excuse has been used before with some success.

No harm in trying it again given the precedent has been set by a very senior politician.

well it works, especially if the one who gave is now dead... "dead men tell no tales"

2 hours ago, canopy said:

You gotta hand it to the authorities. If it were a poor person that got caught hunting they would never go rummaging through their house looking for illegalities like they did with this rich, powerful figure. They are really throwing the book at him and with two charges now in trial it shows Premchai can't buy his way out of anything.

 

 

seems he stood on some toes somewhere along the way - but a long way to go yet and trodden on toes or those not trodden on always react positively to careful attention and massage, wink, wink. 

5 hours ago, Mad mick said:

his facial photo resembles bloated fat pig heart attack victim in the making

He seems to have gained substantial weight, perhaps due to the stress of his illegal and immoral act. I think possibly the deceased black panther might be having the last laugh.

Edited January 22, 20197 yr by neeray
addendum

3 hours ago, mok199 said:

Yes sir , as an enviornmentalist ,I too hate these predetors...

Is that the same as an  environmentalist ?

2 hours ago, canopy said:

You gotta hand it to the authorities. If it were a poor person that got caught hunting they would never go rummaging through their house looking for illegalities like they did with this rich, powerful figure. They are really throwing the book at him and with two charges now in trial it shows Premchai can't buy his way out of anything.

 

 

I think the power of modern day technology has helped in the prosecution and awareness of this case. Nice to see.

4 hours ago, graemeaylward said:

All wildlife is precious! There is no excuse for killing any wild animal with or without a permit, just to satisfy a human bloodlust! Anyone who shoots a fellow creature on this earth needs help! Shame on you. All guns should be banned!

Sent from my Lenovo A3000-H using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

"just to satisfy a human bloodlust"

 

I entirely agree with this and will NEVER understand why some people enjoy hunting.

No doubt his properties will be deemed as "Elephant Graveyards".

'They just come here an die.  What am supposed to do?  Bury the ivory with the rest of the elephant?

Not Guilty on all charges verdict coming soon.  Buddha help the Cook.