BANGKOK — A celebrity lawyer on Monday said an ongoing investigation into a billionaire scion who killed a policeman with his Ferrari in 2012 is politically motivated, and should be halted immediately.
Sukit Phoonsrikasem, a lawyer with a track record of wading in controversial cases in the past, said at a news conference that Red Bull fortune heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya should be allowed to return to Thailand since the prosecutors already dropped charges against him.
“I see this case as a political case,” Sukit said. “As for who’s behind this, I think everyone already knows that. I think Boss is being bullied. As far as I follow the news about Boss, who is now overseas, I know that Boss wants to come back to Thailand.”
He continued, “I want the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to return the passport to him. Let him return to Thailand and live his life as an ordinary person.”
The crash in 2012 killed Sgt. Maj. Wichean Glanprasert, who was on patrol in the nightlife district of Thong Lor.
Police said cocaine, alcohol, and a substance linked to Xanax were found in Vorayuth’s blood after the incident, but a police commander recently dismissed the drugs as Vorayuth’s “dental treatment.”
Prosecutors dropped all charges against Vorayuth in July, citing insufficient evidence. Investigators insisted Vorayuth was driving at a relatively slow speed of 80 kmph, contradicting some witnesses who said the Red Bull heir was going as fast as 170 kmph.
Sukit said any attempt to revive the case should stop because the matter is considered closed and done.
“All the committees that have been set up were only for questioning the facts, but they can’t do anything,” the lawyer said. “The reason why the case is being dug up is because of the public opinions. I’d like to ask them not to use the voice of people to destroy the justice system.”
The police panel probing the alleged mishandling of the case wrapped up its investigation last week, Bangkok Post reported.
Twenty police were found to be negligent in the probe, the Post quoted assistant national police chief Pol Lt Gen Jaruwat Waisaya as saying.
Of those implicated, 11 were reportedly members of the police’s first team of investigators handling the case and the rest were members of a second police team formed to take over the probe from the first.
