Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has admitted negligence and misconduct in the 2012 hit-and-run case involving Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya. A new committee has been formed that will reopen the case for further investigation.
Left to right: Vorayuth Yoovidhya and the simulated crash scene.
On 31 August 2020, Gen Prayut admitted that there were flaws and negligence in the investigation of Vorayuth. A new committee has now been set up to re-investigate the case, in line with a recommendation from Vicha Mahakhun, a former member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), who chaired a report into the handling of the case.
The details of the initial investigation were submitted by Vicha to the Prime Minister in a 100-page document. Gen Prayut announced after the cabinet meeting on 1 September that he will give an interview to summarise the findings of the report and that Vicha will discuss the contents of the report in detail with the media.
Vicha confirmed that his panel saw “injustice” and the “shadow of corruption” in how the case was handled by the prosecution. The flaws in the investigation led to an excessively lengthy process resulting in the expiry of the statute of limitations on some of the charges.
The Prime Minister has conceded that certain individuals are responsible for the failure to bring justice in this case. However, he refrained from blaming the whole justice system. The report will be made public for discussion of its findings.
The government hopes that this will give the appearance of greater transparency and prove the government’s intention to take action. Vicha also hinted that the report contains information that will rattle both the law enforcement and police prosecution organizations and provides names, positions and organizations of the wrongdoers.
In 2012, Vorayuth crashed his Ferrari into a police motorcycle, killing Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichian Klanprasert. However, he failed 8 times to appear in curt to hear the charges and when an arrest warrant was issued in 2017 he escaped overseas. The Thai authorities have repeatedly said they were unable to locate him.
Prachatai English is an independent, non-profit news outlet committed to covering underreported issues in Thailand, especially about democratization and human rights, despite pressure from the authorities. Your support will ensure that we stay a professional media source and be able to meet the challenges and deliver in-depth reporting.
• Simple steps to support Prachatai English
1. Bank transfer to account “โครงการหนังสือพิมพ์อินเทอร์เน็ต ประชาไท” or “Prachatai Online Newspaper” 091-0-21689-4, Krungthai Bank
2. Or, Transfer money via Paypal, to e-mail address: [email protected], please leave a comment on the transaction as “For Prachatai English”