Deputy national police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul threatened on Wednesday to file a lawsuit against groups campaigning on social media against him over his role in the police investigation into the wildlife poaching case involving construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta.
Pol Gen Srivara complained that several groups had tried to discredit him on social media regarding the probe.
If there is sufficient evidence to prove the groups were colluding against him to destroy his reputation, he will pursue a lawsuit against them, he said.
Netizens have launched a campaign criticising the deputy national police chief using the hashtag #NoSrivara.
Pol Gen Srivara said the police investigation will be completed today. Police would decide whether to press additional charges including bribery against the suspects.
Over a month has passed since Mr Premchai, president of Italian-Thai Development Plc, was arrested, along with three other people, for illegally hunting animals in the Thungyai Naresuan wildlife sanctuary in Kanchanaburi. The public and NGOs have been pressuring the police investigation team for results.
They fear the evidence collected might not be strong enough to bring the suspected culprits to court.
They have vowed to closely monitor the case and launched various campaigns to raise public awareness about the case, including wearing black leopard masks and spraying graffiti.
