A senior public health official who allegedly rammed his car into a security guard at the ministry on Friday night, yesterday denied all five charges brought against him despite previously admitting to crashing into the guard on Monday.
Yorn Chiranakhon, a senior doctor attached to Health Centre Region 12 overseeing the South, also refused yesterday to give any further statements to police investigators.
Dr Yorn turned up at Nonthaburi provincial police station to answer the charges, said Pol Gen Wirachai Songmetta, deputy national police chief.
The five charges are reckless driving causing grave danger and serious property damage to others, driving under the influence, defying orders by traffic police by refusing to undergo a breathalyser test, attempted murder and failing to stop a vehicle to help an injured victim and notify police after the crash, said Pol Gen Wirachai.
According to a person who witnessed the incident, Dr Yorn looked red-faced and appeared intoxicated as he staggered to and got in his car to drive away from the building.
Asked previously whether he consumed alcohol on the day of the incident, Dr Yorn did not reply.
The doctor, who was previously released on bail, was required to also sign an additional agreement to assure police he would not contact any eyewitnesses while free on bail, said Pol Gen Wirachai.
After about an hour of additional questioning, Dr Yorn left the police station through the back exit.
He only spoke briefly to waiting reporters saying he had been to visit Somchai Yamdee, the 22-year-old guard who was left seriously injured after last Friday's incident, every day.
Dr Sakol Sukphrom, deputy director of Pranangklao Hospital and the surgeon who performed brain surgery on the injured guard, said his patient was continuing to recover well.
Mr Somchai was yesterday able to begin breathing on his own without the aid of a respirator, Dr Sakol said.
As for concerns raised by Mr Somchai's relatives over seemingly severe injuries to his eyes, Dr Sakol said he had consulted specialist colleagues and concluded that his patient's eye condition was not worrying.
