Thai court charges ex-police chief, 7 others in Red Bull heir scandal

A former Thai police chief and seven others were formally charged in a Bangkok court Thursday for their suspected roles in helping the heir to the Red Bull fortune evade prosecution in a fatal hit-and-run case. 

The case dating to 2012, when Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, allegedly killed a traffic cop while speeding on the roads of the Thai capital in his Ferrari, has put a spotlight on how the country’s rich and powerful can be shielded from prosecution in criminal cases.

Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse on Thursday, Somyot Poompanmoung, the former chief of national police who is implicated in the case, expressed concern about it.

“Everyone who has such a case must be worried, uncomfortable. It’s normal for humans,” he said.

The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases accepted the case against Somyot and the others on charges related to allegedly altering Vorayuth’s case file. All were released on bail after posting 200,000 baht (U.S. $5,873) each. 

The seven others who were indicted include police officers, prosecutors, politicians and an academic.

“The main charge is malfeasance in office under Section 157 of the Criminal Code. Regarding bail, in principle, if the accused doesn’t flee, we won’t object to bail,” Prosecutor Suvej Chompong told reporters outside the court. 

“We believe we can prosecute the offenders because the attorney general has thoroughly screened the case and all evidence is complete. We believe all evidence is sufficient.”  

The court has scheduled a hearing for Sept. 10 on the charges.

EIGHT DEFENDANTS

• Police Gen. Somyot Poompanmoung (who served as national police chief)
• Police Maj. Gen. Tawatchai Mekprasertsuk (who served as a forensic police)
• Police Col. Viradol Thapthimdee (who served as Thong Lor police chief)
• Nate Naksuk (who served as deputy attorney-general)
• Chainarong Saengthong-aram (who served as prosecutor at the Office of the Attorney General)
• Thanit Buakhiao (who served as Vorayuth’s lawyer)
• Chuchai (or Pichai) Lertpongadisorn (who served as a senator)
• Associate professor Saiprasit Koetniyom (who served as an automotive safety and assessment analyst at King Mongkut Institute of Technology)

Worachat Awipan, a scholar at the Institute of Religion, Culture, and Peace at Payap University, said the case against the eight exposes structural issues within Thailand’s justice system. 

“This case, taking nearly 12 years to indict those involved, reflects existing systemic issues, particularly in law enforcement and investigations that may have been delayed or interfered with, or the lengthy time taken for legal decisions,” Awipan said.  

“Such problems raise doubts about the legitimacy of the justice process and may erode public trust in the justice system, especially regarding those with wealth and power.” 

Forbes magazine estimates the Red Bull family’s wealth at U.S. $36 billion, the richest non-royals in Thailand. 

Original case

Vorayuth, grandson of Red Bull energy drink founder Chaleo Yoovidhya, allegedly crashed into police Sgt. Maj. Wichian Klanprasert, who was assigned to the Thong Lor Police Station, killing him on Sept. 3, 2012. 

Court documents state police initially alleged that Voravuth was driving at 177 kph (110 mph) at the time of the crash, but later changed the speed to under 80 kph (50 mph).

In February 2013, police recommended charging Vorayuth with seven offenses including reckless driving causing damage to others’ property, reckless driving causing death, failing to stop and assist the victim, failing to report to authorities, drunk driving causing death, and speeding. 

Vorayuth has denied all charges. 

In April 2017, the attorney general issued a summons for Vorayuth to acknowledge the charges against him, but he failed to appear, leading to an arrest warrant. The Associated Press news service later published images showing Vorayuth living in a house in England where he refused to be interviewed.

The delays in the case have resulted in most of the charges against Vorayuth expiring, with only the charge of reckless driving causing death, which carries a statute of limitations of 15 years and will expire in 2027, remaining. 

New revelations

A turning point in the case came in 2020 when documents surfaced revealing an order not to prosecute Vorayuth, reigniting public interest and prompting investigations by the Royal Thai Police and the Office of the Attorney General. The scandal led to the resignation of the prosecutor handling the case in August 2020. 

The following year, in July 2021, prosecutors filed fresh charges against Vorayuth, whose whereabouts are unknown, according to authorities. These new allegations included cocaine use and reckless driving causing death, based on new evidence.

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February 2024 marked another significant development when Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission recommended charges against officials involved in the case, leading the attorney general to order the new prosecutions.  

This decision culminated in Thursday’s court filing against Somyot and the others. 

Awipan, the Payap University scholar, emphasized the primary concern in the case is that authorities have not located Vorayuth, the primary suspect.  

“The main concern in this case is that we still don’t know Boss’s whereabouts, who is the primary suspect,” Awipan said, referring to Vorayuth by his nickname. “His ability to evade justice for so long demonstrates the weakness of Thailand’s justice system and law enforcement.  

“There’s also concern about the suspect’s influence in delaying or obstructing the justice process, which should not happen,” he said.