2 weeks Ago
Thirteen years after the fatal hit-and-run involving Red Bull scion Vorayuth "Boss" Yoovidhaya, the hands of justice finally moved this week. On Tuesday, the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases decided to imprison two high-ranking public prosecutors for altering evidence to help Mr Vorayuth evade justice over the hit-and-run death of a police officer, Wichian Klanprasert. Nate Naksuk, a former deputy attorney-general, was sentenced to a three-year prison term for his decision to drop charges of "reckless driving [and] causing death" against Mr Vorayuth.
Former senior prosecutor Chainarong Saengthongaram was handed a two-year term for altering evidence of Mr Vorayuth's car speed down to 76.1 kilometres per hour (kph). The initial police investigation concluded that the car was travelling at 177 kph.
But some have raised questions about why the court acquitted six other suspects accused by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of conspiring to revise the car's speed. It is noteworthy that Judge Uthen Sirisamathakarn, Director-General of the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases, officially made a remark about Tuesday's verdict, saying the suspects appeared to operate in a systematic manner, with tasks assigned among them. Among the six suspects were two police investigators who signed off on the revised car speed, Mr Vorayuth's lawyer, and a local politician who provided evidence related to the car's speed, which helped reduce the severity of Mr Vorayuth's alleged crime.
The two other suspects, Assoc Prof Saiprasit Kerdniyom, an automotive safety analyst, and former national police chief Somyot Poompanmoung, presented the revised car speed calculation to Mr Nate and the police. This change in the car speed calculation came after Mr Vorayuth's lawyer lodged a complaint against the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), accusing police investigators of bias. Mr Somyot, as a lawmaker with the NLA, stepped in.
The big question is whether the verdict is enough to deter any other unscrupulous officials or persons from tampering with evidence in the future. Meanwhile, Mr Nate and Mr Chainarong will certainly appeal and fight the case to the end. We only hope that OAG will do the same in appealing to the upper court to retry all eight suspects for tampering with the evidence in this case.
But it is not enough to let the court do the justice. Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong must work harder to find and bring Mr Vorayuth back to Thailand to stand trial before the final statute of limitation expires in 2027. It remains a mystery how our competent officials, who managed to bring back armed and dangerous fugitive inmate Chaowalit Thongduang, known as "Sia Pang Na Node", back to the country, cannot trace Mr Vorayuth, who is now in his early 40s.
It's worth noting that the Associated Press photographed him as he left his swanky flat in London five years ago. Foreign media have also reportedly spotted him at a car race in Dubai. The government must show its political will to bring justice to this case by working with Interpol to locate the suspect.
Without Mr Vorayuth being brought to stand trial in Thailand, justice will remain denied..
