Ex-police chief among those allegedly tampered with evidence in Red Bull heir case

[reader]

From Thai PBS World

National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has found 15 individuals, including former national police chief Somyot Poompanmuang and former deputy attorney-general Nate Naksuk, guilty of involvement in changing the speed of the car driven by Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya, to help him avoid speeding charges in the infamous hit-and-run incident in 2012.

NACC Secretary-General Niwatchai Kasemmongkol told the media on Wednesday that they had reached a ruling, adding that the anti-graft watchdog’s ruling is not final and all the accused have the right to prove their innocence in court.

Vorayuth was originally accused of driving his Ferrari at over 100kph when he crashed into a motorcycle, being ridden by a police officer, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichian Klanprasert, on Sukhumvit Road in September 2012, killing him at the scene. Vorayuth was initially charged with speeding, but the car’s speed was eventually altered to under 80kph, so the speeding charge, which carries a higher penalty, was dropped.

In 2020, all the charges against Vorayuth were dropped, mostly due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. Fresh charges were, however, brought against him by the Office of the Attorney-General, but Vorayuth has been living abroad since shortly after the fatal incident.

The other individual implicated by the NACC, Education Minister Pol Gen Permpoon Chidchob, was found to have committed an offence which is not serious and the case will have to be sent to the government for consideration of an appropriate penalty.

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From Thai Enquirer

Impunity for the rich and powerful undermines Thailand’s democracy

Thailand is a country where the harmonious façade is deeply cherished yet the grim reality of unequal justice frequently breaks through. The saga of Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, the Red Bull heir accused in a fatal 2012 hit-and-run incident, paints a vivid portrait of an entrenched system that seems to favor the wealthy elite at the expense of everyday citizens. The National Anti-Corruption Commission’s recent accusation of 15 officials for alleged misconduct in dropping charges against Vorayuth adds another layer to an already complex tapestry of injustice and corruption.

The charges against Vorayuth, initially dropped in July 2020 but later reinstated following public outrage, exemplify a pattern of authority figures turning a blind eye to the crimes committed by the privileged. High-ranking officers such as former national police chief Pol Gen Somyot Poompanmoung and former deputy attorney-general Nate Naksuk, among others, stand accused of bending the rules to favor the scion of one of Thailand’s wealthiest families. Although not all were accused of grave offenses, the message is clear: if you have the right connections, the law may not apply to you in the same way it does to others.

Such actions tarnish not just the reputation of law enforcement agencies but corrode the very fabric of democracy. This isn’t a solitary case. Remember the infamous “Hi-So” crimes—cases involving high-society individuals who seem virtually untouchable? One glaring example is the case of Orachorn “Praewa” Devahastin Na Ayudhya, who at the age of 16 caused a fatal car crash that killed nine people. Despite the gravity of the accident, Praewa faced minimal consequences, leaving the victims’ families haunted by a haunting question: Is justice in Thailand only for those who can’t afford to evade it?

Continues with audio

https://www.thaienquirer.com/50663/impunity-for-the-rich-and-powerful-undermines-thailands-democracy/

 

[PeterRS]

 This case has been before the National Anti-Corruption Commission for about a decade. And it has done absolutely f--k all! For the very simple reason that the government, the rich and the elite did not want it to do anything, and no doubt some of the Commission members received very substantial brown envelopes.

This whole case stinks! The man at the centre of the charges has been seen both in Thailand and overseas several times - and nothing has been done. The government alleged it had had Interpol put him on a Red List. I went through the nearly 8,000 profiles on that red list. Guess who was not on it!

His family is one of the richest in Thailand. Yet it paid a pittance to the widow of the motorcycle policeman this criminal mowed down and dragged along Sukhumvit doing what was then alleged as 200 or so kph at around 5:00 am. The family would not permit the police access to its compound until mid-afternoon, by which time the drugs in his system could have dispersed. It also at first alleged he had not been driving and tried to set the family chauffeur up as the driver.

They are a bunch of disaceful crooks. If Move Forward ever gets in to power, I hope it uses all its powers to find this criminal and put him in jail for deacdes for outright murder - with additional years for having failed to turn up for about half a dozen court appearances.

[vinapu]

4 hours ago, reader said:

 

Thailand is a country where the harmonious façade is deeply cherished yet the grim reality of unequal justice frequently breaks through.

golden words.

but what is good in this case is that neither public nor media seem to forget about it  and is still on the burner.