The chairman of the prime minister's committee reviewing the aborted hit-and-run case of Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya said his panel saw "injustice" and the "shadow of corruption" in past handling of the prosecution.
Vicha Mahakun, a former member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission who heads the committee, yesterday outlined his panel's progress, with a 30-day working deadline due on Aug 31. He was being interviewed on CU Radio. Officials had decided to press charges against Mr Vorayuth, but the process had been delayed for 7-8 years and there had been as many as 14 petitions for justice before charges were dropped, he said.
"There were definitely flaws, otherwise it would not have taken so long," Mr Vicha said. "How can there be 14 petitions for justice [that delayed the case]? For the past 7-8 years the case was about to reach the court, but in the end that did not happen."
Mr Vorayuth, 35, also known as "Boss", drove the Ferrari that hit and killed policeman Wichian Klanprasert, 47, on Sukhumvit Road in the early hours of Sept 3, 2012. It was not until April 27, 2017, that prosecutors finally charged Mr Vorayuth with reckless driving causing death and failing to help a crash victim. He fled on a private plane two days before he was due to face the charges. "This contradicts the principles of the justice system," Mr Vicha said. "That is, delaying the justice system ... is injustice. Lawyers are well aware of this. There is the shadow of corruption."
Mr Vicha said the police officer in charge of foreign affairs matters at the time had asked Interpol to issue a Red Notice for Mr Vorayuth, and had been transferred soon after contacting Interpol. He said he discussed the findings of his committee with the national police chief on Tuesday and, in response, police sought a new arrest warrant for Mr Vorayuth. Mr Vicha said his committee would also look into whether there was any abuse of power in the way public prosecutors handled the case.
His committee would submit the report to the prime minister by Aug 31. "In the conclusion of this case, we will just point to the flaws in the organisation," Mr Vicha said. "The prime minister agrees with our report that sees the commander or top leader of the organisation must be responsible. [They] cannot just order [others to work] and not follow it up." It would be up to the premier whether to reveal the report to the public, he said.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police Bureau yesterday forwarded a new arrest warrant for three charges against Mr Vorayuth to the Immigration Bureau. Immigration police chief Sompong Chingduang said the bureau had entered the arrest warrant into the system.
Red Bull scion Mr Vorayuth would be prosecuted only on two charges which had not yet expired, despite his new arrest warrant being issued on three charges, said a spokesman of the Court of Justice, Suriyan Hongwilai. The expiring charge is failing to help a victim after a crash.
He said police could prosecute Mr Vorayuth on the two charges whose statute of limitations were still in effect. The charge of cocaine abuse will expire in 2022 and reckless driving causing death in 2027.