Bangkok – Thailand’s Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Gen Surasak Kanjanarat says no special treatment has been given to a construction tycoon, who is charged with poaching.
In a meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, Pol Gen Sriwara Rangsibrahmanakul, Gen Surasak insisted that Premchai Karnasuta, President of Italian-Thai Development Co. Ltd (ITD), didn’t receive any help so far and the investigation will be carried out fairly. The minister urged the general public to have faith in the justice system.
Another meeting on Wednesday will be attended by Thanya Netithammakul, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, and Pol Gen Jarumporn Suramanee of the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission. They will examine evidence and eyewitness testimonies to ensure the investigation is being handled carefully. It remains uncertain whether Premchai and his accomplices will face additional charges.
Earlier this month, park rangers arrested the ITD President along with three accomplices in Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi Province. The rangers found them in possession of the skinned carcasses of a black panther, a kalij pheasant, and a barking deer, along with three, long-barreled firearms and ammunition.
