KANCHANABURI: A merit-making rite has been held for a black leopard shot dead allegedly in a high-profile hunting case involving Premchai Karnasuta amid concerns the construction tycoon may escape some legal charges.
The rite was held on Thursday at a leisure park on Lak Muang Road in Muang district municipality. Mourners turned up clad in black to attend a prayer service performed by nine monks from Wat Chaichumphon Chana Songkhram in Kanchaburi.
It was the first religious ceremony held for the black Indochinese leopard. The carcass of the endangered species was found on Feb 4 in the Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary, a world heritage site in the province.
Among the ceremony participants was Wichian Chinnawong, the wildlife sanctuary chief who led a team to arrest Mr Premchai, the 63-year-old president of Italian-Thai Development Plc, and his three companions at the sanctuary.
A leopard pelt riddled with bullet holes and a cooking pot containing what was later confirmed as leopard soup were among items the authorities confiscated.
"I've done my best [in the case]," Mr Wichian said, adding he has given his statements and handed over evidence to police investigators to support charges against Mr Premchai.
Accompanied by military officers for his protection during the investigation, Mr Wichian has rarely made public appearances after giving his statements to police.
He declined to comment on the prosecutors' decision to drop five of 11 charges against Mr Premchai and his associates.
One of the dropped charges include collusion to enter a wildlife sanctuary without permission.
Sasin Chalermlarp, chairman of the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation who also attended the ceremony yesterday, expressed concerns over progress in the prosecution of the suspects.
Some charges were dropped, upsetting conservationists, and some fear worse may follow.
Mr Sasin said some charges including colluding to hunt protected wildlife and possessing the carcasses of protected wildlife species survived the cut, but he said these could be dropped from the police report if there was not enough evidence.
Many pieces of evidence are linked to the witnesses, mostly wildlife officials including those in Mr Wichian's team. Mr Premchai's lawyer may use this to help defend his client, Mr Sasin said.
"The lawyer may use inquiry techniques on witnesses [if and when the case reaches court] until they get confused," he said.
Phra Wisutthiphongmethi, assistant abbot of Wat Chaichumphon Chana Songkhram said he was worried the controversy may fade from public attention. Although the laws exist to offer protection to wildlife animals, they were not always enforced.
The monk said he believed that laws alone are not the answer to the problems with the protection of wild animals.
He insisted some people needed moral education.
