Police submitted a letter of objection to public prosecutors on Tuesday regarding the indictment against construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta, who has been charged with offences relating to poaching at a protected wildlife sanctuary.

Deputy police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul led a team of investigators to submit the letter to the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG).

Police had earlier proposed that Mr Premchai be indicted on 11 counts. The Office of Public Prosecution Region 7 last Wednesday reduced that to six.

In the letter of objection, police insisted the indictment against Mr Premchai and three others should include the charges of colluding to enter a wildlife sanctuary without permission, colluding to smuggle wildlife-poaching equipment into a wildlife sanctuary without permission and colluding in attempting to hunt wildlife in a wildlife sanctuary without permission.

The officers said they have accepted the prosecutor's decision to drop the charge of colluding to commit cruelty to wild animals and the charge of colluding to possess weapons and ammunition.

Pol Gen Srivara said police wanted the prosecutors to reconsider the charges that had been dropped, particularly that of colluding to enter a wildlife sanctuary without permission, after they studied the regulations regarding entry to national parks by the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department (NPWPCD).

Pol Gen Srivara said previously that although no penalty is stated in the NPWPCD's regulation, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has already filed a civil suit against Mr Premchai and the three other suspects for this offence.

Tharam Chaleechan, deputy spokesman of the OAG, said the attorney-general would make a decision before the final detention period of the suspects in April.

The president of Italian-Thai Development Plc and his accomplices were arrested on Feb 4 after reportedly shooting and eating a rare black leopard.