Construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta insisted yesterday he is innocent in his first interaction with the media since his wildlife poaching case hit the deadlines and provoked a public outcry.
"I'm feeling extremely uneasy and mentally affected by the [pressure] from the rest of society and the situations I'm dealing with," he said to a group of reporters who questioned him while he was waiting for his chauffeur-driven car at the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok.
He was speaking shortly after being released on bail after facing additional charges of allegedly bribing state officials, having unlicensed weapons and being in illegal possession of protected wildlife carcasses.
Symbolic protests took place in the court area when Mr Premchai arrived yesterday. One protester was seen holding up a placard reading: "Save wildlife".
Another person shouting a question at Mr Premchai asking if the meat of the rare black leopard he allegedly killed and cooked tasted good.
Mr Premchai also denied trying to use his business influence to seek help from the government to get off the hook.
The Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division yesterday pressed the three charges against him after four hours of questioning. He visited the division to acknowledge the charges.
He and three other suspects detained for allegedly poaching wildlife at Thungyai Naresuan wildlife sanctuary in Kanchanaburi on Feb 4-6 have already been hit with nine charges in connection with the alleged poaching.
Investigators found he tried to pay off state officials who detained him in a no-camping zone in the wildlife sanctuary, while the other charges came after a search of his home in Bangkok when guns and African elephant tusks were seized.
