Attorney General to Seek 3 Million Baht From Premchai

Premchai Karnasuta, far left, sits in the campsite where he was found on Feb. 5 with the remains of a leopard, panther and other wildlife in the Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province.
Premchai Karnasuta, far left, sits in the campsite where he was found on Feb. 5, 2018, with the remains of a leopard, panther and other wildlife in the Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province.

BANGKOK — The attorney general Monday will seek to punish accused wildlife poacher Premchai Karnasuta with a 3 million baht fine after signing off on six criminal complaints related to alleged poaching in a wildlife sanctuary.

In the final indictment announced after months of investigation, Premchai, CEO of Italian-Thai Development, will be prosecuted on weapon-related charges including hunting protected species on protected land. The announcement did not rule out seeking jail time for Premchai.

Lead regional prosecutor Somsri Wattanapaisan said that the attorney-general will seek a 3 million baht fine from Premchai and his party, who were arrested Feb. 5 in the Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary.

Somsri’s Ratchaburi office is responsible for prosecuting the crime, which happened in neighboring Kanchanaburi province.

Advertisement

She also rejected a Friday request by Premchai’s attorneys that investigators seek more witnesses to establish his alibi. Somsri dismissed it as an attempt to impede prosecution.

“The witnesses he referred to in his file are irrelevant to the case. They’re just people making comments through the media,” she said. “All parties related to the matter have already been questioned. The investigation is now complete.”

Related stories:

Advertisement

Premchai Claims Innocence, Refuses to Step Down

Premchai Indicted for Illegal Firearms Possession

Prosecutors Drop 5 Charges Against Premchai