'Boss' to face fresh charges

'Boss' to face fresh charges

Prosecutors have decided to indict Red Bull scion Vorayuth "Boss" Yoovidhya on two counts -- cocaine use and reckless driving causing death -- stemming from his fatal hit-and-run case in Bangkok in 2012.

A working group at the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) announced the prosecutors' decision yesterday.

Ittiporn Kaewthip, deputy director-general of the Department of Criminal Litigation, said the working group, headed by deputy attorney-general Somsak Tiyavanich, had made its recommendations to the attorney-general, and they had been accepted.

Although the charge of reckless driving causing death against Mr Vorayuth had earlier been dropped, Mr Ittiporn said fresh evidence and key new witnesses justified reviving it.

He said the re-investigation also found that Mr Vorayuth had taken cocaine and that no legal action had been taken against him previously over that issue.

Sathon Wicharnwannarak, a physics lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, had calculated the speed of Mr Vorayuth's Ferrari at the time of the crash at 110-145kph, while public transport expert Samart Ratchapolsitte calculated the speed at 160-190kph.

Evidence from those two witnesses had not been included in the previous investigation, so this was considered new evidence, Mr Ittiporn said.

The working group agreed unanimously to recommend indictment on two counts: reckless driving causing death and cocaine use, he said.

The statute of limitations on the reckless driving causing death charge is 15 years and will expire on Sept 3, 2027. On the cocaine use charge it is 10 years and will expire on Sept 3, 2022.

OAG spokesman Prayut Petcharakhun said the prosecutors' decision to arraign Mr Vorayuth should not be seen as reversing a decision made by Nate Naksuk, the deputy attorney-general who decided not to prosecute the charge of reckless driving causing death.

Mr Nate's decision was lawful, he said, as he had made the decision based on evidence available to investigators at the time and the decision by the working group was based on fresh evidence, particularly relating to the car's speed.

Mr Vorayuth, 35, also known as Boss, drove the Ferrari that allegedly killed Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichian Klanprasert, 47, in the early morning of Sept 3, 2012.

He crashed into the rear of the policeman's motorcycle on Sukhumvit Road. He then fled the scene to his home nearby.

He delayed hearings on the charges seven times.

It was not until April 27, 2017, that prosecutors finally charged him with reckless driving causing death and failing to help a crash victim.

He fled on a private plane two days before he was due to face the charges.

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