KANCHANABURI: Premchai Karnasuta, president of Italian-Thai Development Plc, and his three co-accused in a high-profile illegal hunting case reported to the Thong Pha Phum provincial court on Wednesday morning.
The four men, accompanied by their lawyer Withoon Phraiyaem, arrived at the court about 8.55am.
It was the end of their sixth detention period, 72 days. Bail was again continued after police were formally granted leave to detain them for the seventh and final period, a maximum of 84 days, for further investigation as the offences make the accused liable to prison terms of up to 10 years.
Emerging from the courtroom about 30 minutes later, Mr Premchai, 63, who faces various charges relating to alleged poaching in a Kanchanaburi wildlife sanctuary, appeared at ease. He smiled but refused to answer reporters’ questions.
Mr Withoon said his clients were scheduled to report again on May 2.
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.
The other three accused are his employees: Yong Dodkhruea, 65, Nathee Riamsaen, 43, and Thanee Thummat, 56.