Testimony continues during poaching trial of Premchai Karnasutra

PHOTOS: The Nation

The provincial court in Kanchanaburi’s Thong Pha Phum district heard testimony from three policemen yesterday. This was the seventh prosecution-witness session in the “black leopard” trial for alleged poaching against Italian-Thai construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta and three associates.

With the court having set aside 10 sessions for the prosecution witnesses to take the stand, 15 witnesses had testified in the previous six sessions, leaving 17 to testify in the remaining four sessions finishing on Thursday this week, and then again on December 18. After that, 17 defence witnesses will testify during six sessions from December 19-21 and December 25-27.

Premchai, president of listed construction giant Italian-Thai Development, was arrested and charged with poaching in Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in February, along with three associates – Yong Dodkrua, Thanee Thummat and Nathee Riamsaen.

Six allegations, including illegally carrying firearms in public, hunting protected wildlife, and poaching inside the wildlife reserve, have been laid against Premchai, while Thanee, Yong and Nathee are facing eight, seven and five allegations, respectively.

Thanee, Yong and Nathee were present along with their lawyers for yesterday’s seventh prosecution-witness session, but Premchai didn’t attend.

As per the court’s approval of his request for absence from the prosecution’s witness hearings, Premchai will not attend the court until the defence-witness hearings commence.

STORY: The Nation