THE Ratchada Criminal Court this evening (May 16) ordered the initial 12-day detention of Italian-Thai Development Plc President Premchai Karnasuta and 14 other suspects in the collapse of the State Audit building during March 28 earthquake because of significant damage that terrified the public and has great impact on society, Amarin TV said.
At around 8 p.m. the court denied their petition for temporary release because it is feared they would flee and it would be difficult to track them down.
Moreover police still have to question 15 more witnesses in this case and when the investigation report is ready a detailed order will be issued.
Italian-Thai Development Plc is the main Thai contractor for this building project which upon collapsing killed around 92 people. Aside from Premchai most of the 16 others charged are designers and engineers.
The two remaining suspects, one a juristic person and the other an individual, sent their lawyers to postpone their surrender to May 19 because they have problems collecting documents.
Police took 14 suspects to court in a van but arranged a pickup truck for Premchai because he is confined to a wheelchair and has a urinary catheter inserted with this making it difficult to get on to the former vehicle with the latter one being lower. He had asked to go to court in his own vehicle but Bang Sue police said all suspects must be treated equally.
Premchai’s case is his second major tangle with the law. In 2019, he was convicted of wildlife poaching and served two and half years in prison.
He was found guilty of killing protected animals and illegal possession of weapons after park rangers found a hunting party at a wildlife sanctuary in 2018 with carcasses of a rare black panther, a kalij pheasant and a barking deer. The panther had been butchered and its meat cooked for soup, AP said.
CAPTION:
Italian-Thai Development Plc boss Premchai Karnasuta, left, and two other suspects in State Audit building collapse being taken to court. Photo: Amarin TV
Also read: Construction magnate surrenders on negligence charges over Bangkok building collapse in earthquake
DSI accepts building collapse as special case
Boss of Chinese company in joint venture that built collapsed building arrested
Collapsed building’s Chinese contractor, steel supplier linked to 37-company network
Construction tycoon jailed in black panther case likely to be freed today
No privileges for tycoon-turned-inmate behind bars: Justice minister
Tycoon jailed for 2 years and 6 months in poaching case
Construction tycoon-turned-black-panther hunter released on parole
