Prawit denies his family helped 'Boss'

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon denies that his family had influence over the decision to drop the manslaughter charge against Vorayuth Yoovidhya in June. (Bangkok Post photo)
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon denies that his family had influence over the decision to drop the manslaughter charge against Vorayuth Yoovidhya in June. (Bangkok Post photo)

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon on Wednesday denied speculation that his family had influence over the decision to drop a charge against Red Bull scion Vorayuth "Boss" Yoovidhya in June.

According to media reports, Gen Prawit's brother, Admiral Sitthawat Wongsuwon, was chairman of the now-dissolved National Legislative Assembly (NLA) committee when Mr Vorayuth's lawyer, Samak, petitioned it to have the manslaughter charge dropped.

The reports said the committee later asked prosecutors to send Vorayuth's case file back to the police to reconsider his indictments, citing new witnesses. The move effectively killed the case against Boss.

"My family has never known [Mr Vorayuth's] family," Gen Prawit said. "Personally, I have never known him."

He said the accusation that Adm Sitthawat was involved in the decision to drop the charges against Mr Vorayuth was surprising because Adm Sitthawat did not have the power to do so.

Mr Samak, Mr Vorayuth's lawyer, previously petitioned the panel to provide justice and postpone forwarding the Office of Attorney-General's prosecution files to court.

Gen Prawit claimed neither he nor any member of the Prawit family could have forced the charges to be dropped.

Mr Vorayuth was accused of killing Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichian Klanprasert, a policeman riding a motorcycle, during a hit-and-run incident involving his Ferrari on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok, on Sept 3, 2012.

Mr Vorayuth was charged with speeding and failing to stop, but the indictments were dropped after exceeding the statute of limitations. Mr Vorayuth was also charged with reckless driving that resulted in death, but that charge was dropped by prosecutors in June.

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Vocabulary

  • accusation: a statement that someone has done something wrong or illegal even though this has not been proved - ข้อกล่าวหา
  • charge : an official statement accusing someone of committing a crime - ข้อกล่าวหา
  • claim: to say that something is true although it has not been proved and other people may not believe it - อ้าง
  • dissolved: (of a group) ended - ยุบ (พรรค)
  • drop the charges: to decide that the accusations made against a person are not correct and should not be taken to court - ยกฟ้อง
  • indictment: an official statement accusing someone of a serious crime - การฟ้องร้อง, การดำเนินคดี
  • lawyer: an attorney - ทนาย
  • manslaughter: the crime of killing somebody illegally but not deliberately - การฆ่าคนโดยไม่ไตร่ตรองไว้ก่อน
  • petition: to make a formal request - ยื่นคำร้อง
  • prosecutors (noun): lawyers whose job is to prove in court that someone accused of a crime is guilty อัยการ - อัยการ
  • speculation: ideas or discussion about why something has happened or what might happen - คาดการณ์ ประเมิณสถานการณ์
  • statute of limitations: the legal limit on the period of time within which action can be taken on a crime or other legal question  - อายุความ
  • witness: a person who sees something happen or knows about something - ผู้ที่เห็นเหตุการณ์, พยาน

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