Thai prosecutors indict ex-senior cop over Red Bull heir case
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Somyot Poompanmoung is one of eight suspects accused of altering the recorded speed of Vorayuth Yoovidhya’s Ferrari, which ploughed into a policeman on a motorbike.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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BANGKOK - Thai prosecutors indicted a former senior police officer on Aug 29 over allegations that he helped doctor evidence in a notorious 2012 hit-and-run case involving an heir to the Red Bull energy drink fortune.
Somyot Poompanmoung, one of the highest-ranking police officers at the time of the crash, is one of eight suspects accused of altering the recorded speed of the vehicle.
The police record initially stated that Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, princeling of the Red Bull family, was driving at 177kmh, but it was later changed to less than 80kmh, according to a court statement.
Vorayuth is accused of ploughing his Ferrari into a policeman’s motorbike
He faced charges of causing death by reckless driving and possessing illegal substances, but dodged prosecutors and fled from Thailand by private jet in 2017.
In 2020, the Thai authorities dropped all charges against Vorayuth, triggering a huge public outcry.
“Today, a state prosecutor has indicted Somyot and seven others for malfeasance in the case, leading to the suspect’s impunity,” the anti-corruption and misconduct court said in a statement.
The eight defendants were granted bail and ordered not to leave the country without permission.
The first hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept 10.
The case became an example of what critics say is the impunity enjoyed by the super-rich and well-connected in Thailand.
As the grandson of the late Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya, Vorayuth is part of a clan with an estimated net worth of US$36 billion (S$46.8 billion) – making them Thailand’s richest family in 2024, according to Forbes. AFP
