A police captain in Kanchanaburi province has been put on probation for accepting a complaint of cruelty to animals, later withdrawn, against construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta, who is accused of illegally hunting endangered animals in a World Heritage forest last month.
Pol Col Wuthipong Yenjit, chief of Thong Pha Phum police station, has placed Pol Cap Sumit Boonyanit on probation for failing to carefully check the relevant law before accepting the complaint from a wildlife official, according to Thai media reports.
Pol Capt Sumit accepted the complaint of cruelty to animals from Narongchai Sangworawongsa, head of animal quarantine in Kanchanaburi, on Feb 7.
The accusation was added to the many other charges that Mr Premchai faces after being arrested by forest rangers at an illegal bush camp in Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Thong Pha Phum district on the night of Feb 4.
Mr Premchai and his three companions were found in a no-camping area in possession of long barrelled guns and ammunition. The carcasses of nine hunted protected animals were found nearby, including a rare Indochinese black leopard, a female, and its bullet-hole ridden pelt. They face multiple illegal hunting and firearms charges.
On Feb 21, Mr Narongchai returned to Thong Pha Phum police station to withdraw the cruelty complaint. He explained there was no ministerial regulation defining the exact species of wildlife covered by the law on the prevention of cruelty to animals.
The law covers wildlife in general, but the exact species must also be declared by ministerial regulation.
The chief of the Thong Pha Phum police station took disciplinary action against the police captain who handled the cruelty complaint, for dereliction of duty.
After Mr Premchai's arrest his sprawling residence in Bangkok was searched, revealing a collection of more than 40 guns, ammunition, and two pairs of large elephant tusks that were DNA tested and found to be prohibited ivory from Africa.
The president of Italian-Thai Development Plc has denied all charges and remains free on bail of 150,000 baht.
