KANCHANABURI: Premchai Karnasuta, president of Italian-Thai Development Plc, and three other suspects in the illegal hunting case reported to the Thong Pha Phum provincial court on Monday morning.
The four men are free on bail and were required to report today, the end of the fourth detention period. Police can apply to detain them seven times, a maximum period of 84 days, for questioning because the offences carry penalties of up to 10 years in jail.
Today's visit was of special interest now that police at Thong Pha Phum have also submitted a report accusing Mr Premchai of causing damage to the forest and ecosystem of Thungyai wildlife sanctuary during an alleged hunting trip on Feb 4.
If the prosecution decides to pursue the case, it will be the country's first such civil lawsuit.
Pol Capt Sumit Boonyanich, deputy chief investigator, said police have further questioned park and forestry officials as requested by prosecutors, who will decide whether to pursue a civil lawsuit against the tycoon.
Mr Premchai also faces various charges relating to alleged poaching in the wildlife sanctuary.
The court formally approved the police request to further detain the suspects and continued bail. The suspects were ordered to report again on April 9.
Pol Capt Sumit said the officials were questioned about the damage caused to the environment and the ecosystem and about the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites).
According to sources familiar with the case, financial damage is estimated at 3,034,612 baht, based on the financial value applied to the animals whose remains were found at the tycoon's campsite.
The value of the Indochinese leopard (pantherapardus delacouri) was put at 3 million baht and the silver pheasant (lophura nycthemera) at 22,612 baht. Both animals are protected species.
However, it is believed that the damages caused to the environment and the ecosystem are expected to exceed the value of the animals found at the campsite.
Mr Premchai and his three companions were arrested on the night of Feb 4 by a team of rangers led by Thungyai wildlife sanctuary chief Wichian Chinnawong. The most notorious items found at their camp were the pelt of a rare black Indochinese leopard and a cooking pot containing leopard-meat soup.
