Faults found in the probe into Ferrari crash that killed policeman

Deputy national police chief Pongsapat Pongcharoen said he would present the fact-finding team’s results to the national police chief on Tuesday and it would be determined if it were necessary to assign a police inspector-general to probe the matter further.

The force’s legal department would consider the punishments for any wrongdoing, he said.

Vorayuth rammed his Ferrari into Thong Lor-based Pol Snr Sgt-Major Wichian Klanprasert’s motorcycle on Sukhumvit Road, resulting in the officer’s death. 

Having avoided prosecution for speeding and drunk driving, Vorayuth now faces the remaining charges of reckless driving resulting in a person’s death and property damage, as well as failing to help a victim and alert officials. The team that investigated the crash has been accused of incompetence or an abuse of authority, given Vorayuth got away with the speeding charge because the one-year statute of limitations for the offence has passed and the arrest report stated he had been drunk after driving.

In a separate accident case involving another wealthy motorist, Jenpop Weeraporn, who rear-ended a car causing two deaths in Ayutthaya on March 13, acting Phra-in Racha police superintendent Colonel Ekkarat Ooncharoen said the investigation into the incident would be submitted to the public prosecutor within two weeks. He said the case report was now awaiting the suspect’s test results from a Bangkok hospital as well as the test results on Jenpop’s Mercedes-Benz.

He said police were confident they had enough evidence to prosecute Jenpop.

Prayong Preeyajit, chief of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, yesterday affirmed his agency would follow up on police investigations into high-profile cases – including Vorayuth and Jenpop’s case – to ensure there was no inequality in the justice system, as instructed by Justice Minister General Paiboon Koomchaya.