Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered the Phuket governor not to allow lobbying in an assault case involving a Swiss man, amid reports that the complainant had been approached about withdrawing her case.
Mr Anutin even posted a screenshot of the Line message he sent to Sophon Suwannarat about the assault case brought by a Thai doctor on the tourist island.
“Don’t let it (lobbying) happen, Phuket governor,” reads the message that the minister copied to his Facebook page. “Hold a press conference to confirm your stance that you will not let bribe-taking happen to have the case overturned. Follow up the case closely.”
The minister was responding to unconfirmed reports that an anonymous caller had contacted Dr Thandao Chandam to offer her money in exchange for withdrawing an assault complaint against Urs Fehr, a Swiss man accused of physically attacking her.
Mr Fehr, the 45-year-old managing director of Elephant Sanctuary Park Co in Phuket, faces a charge of physical assault for kicking the back of Dr Thandao, a doctor at Dibuk Hospital, on Feb 24, near his villa in Thalang district.
The incident occurred while the doctor and her friend were watching the moon from steps leading to the beach near the villa rented by the Swiss man and his Thai wife.
Mr Fehr has denied the charge. He claimed he slipped on the steps and fell as he approached the two women, whom he thought were trespassing. However, the steps were in fact built on public land and were later demolished.
The Fehr case caused an uproar, and was followed by a series of other reports of foreigners behaving badly. Mr Sophon subsequently set up a special task force to keep an eye on foreigners on Phuket, and last week said that it had filed 400 cases for various offences.
The Phuket governor said the case was currently before the courts and nobody could interfere with the process.
Mr Anutin earlier ordered Mr Fehr’s visa revoked in response to the public outcry over the incident. The visa expired in March 13 but the Swiss man is allowed to remain in the country until his trial is concluded.
Dr Thandao’s father stood firm that his family would not accept any money in exchange for withdrawing the case.
On Wednesday, he submitted a letter to the attorney-general, requesting a review of Phuket prosecutors’ decision to indict the defendant on a charge using force to physically attack a person without causing physical or mental harm.
Dr Thandao, he said, viewed the charges against the defendant were “not consistent with the facts” that his action had caused her mental and physical harm.