Bangkok, 22nd February 2018 – Counter Corruption Division Police (CCD) have held a meeting concerning allegations of attempted bribery by Italian Thai Co Ltd CEO Premchai Karnasutra, with expectations of wrapping up the case in March.
CCD held the meeting with authorities from the Natural Resource and Environment Police and other relevant agencies, to decide on the approach to investigating Premchai’s alleged attempted bribery of Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary head Wichien Chinnawong when the latter led a search of a camp used by Premchai and three others and found evidence of illegal wildlife hunting.
CCD Commander Pol Maj Gen Kamol Rienracha disclosed after the meeting that all officers working on the case are proceeding in the same direction according to their individual responsibilities. He indicated that the Technological Crimes Division has been given audio clips of Premchai’s exchanges with authorities to analyze; Natural Resource and Environment Police are looking over case files and Economic Crimes Police are establishing whether the alleged attempted bribery can be considered a crime.
Meanwhile, Wichien and three other sanctuary authorities have asked that a questioning session scheduled for February 22 be heldover to March 8 due to official engagements. Nevertheless, another meeting will take place on March 12 to decide if Premchai will be charged, which would require him to appear before the authorities.
Premchai’s party must today hear charges of animal abuse in Kanchanaburi province. If they twice fail to appear before police the matter will be put to the court for further action.
Head of the Department of National Forests, Wildlife and Plant Conservation’s Phaya Sua Task Force, Chaiwat Limlikitaksorn made known meanwhile, that his unit will take investigators from Thong Pha Phum police station back to the scene where Premchai’s party was discovered to look into several more places where evidence has been found.
