The billionaire descendant of the Red Bull empire may still face rates for the shooting and execution death of a Thai police officer in 2012, following widespread outrage in the politically volatile country after the rates held against him were eliminated last month.
Thailand’s Attorney General’s Office said it is contemplating reopening the case against Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, the 35-year-old grandson of the co-inventor of the energy drink.
An investigation into the police handling of the case, which may see the reinstatement of the fees opposed to Yoovidhya, is scheduled for Thursday, but the deadline was extended for one week, the Bangkok Post reports.
Yoovidhya has become a hate figure in Thailand after his immensely wealthy circle of relatives was accused of his wealth and strength to help them escape punishment for Bangkok’s hit-and-run in 2012 in which he killed a policeman on motorcycle while allegedly under the influence of alcohol and drugs
Yoovidhya constantly did not show up for court hearings and left the country in 2017, days before a scheduled hearing.
It is officially unknown where it is located, but its symbol has given the impression on social media in chi-chi ski resorts and in smart hotels and restaurants in central London.
Late last month, the Thai government announced that it would drop the case, claiming that new evidence showed Yoovidhya was driving at 49 mph, 1 mph below the 50 mph speed limit, not 110 mph as originally cited, and that the twist of fate is just an “inevitable” twist of fate.
Soon after, the witness whose testimony had resulted in a downhaul of the speed estimate, and who was to be called to testify to investigate the reasons for the fees, died on another motorcycle turn of fate that would have been widespread. local, staging.
Public outrage over falling tariffs has fuelled unprecedented protests in favor of democracy that shake the country. More than 10,000 more people accumulated last weekend in the largest protest since a military junta overthrew the last democratically elected government in 2014.
The attorney general’s workplace later said there was, in fact, new evidence that the Ferrari was actually going 110 mph after all. The Attorney General’s Office said it commissioned a new report on police corruption in this case, and a spokesperson appeared to warn Yoovidhya that he was not out of the woods, saying: “The main message we are sending today” Hui is that the BVG has revived. the case. , giving him new life, so he can Array . . bring ‘Boss’ back to the court system.
However, veteran observers told the Daily Beast they highly doubt that Yoovidhya will ever be held accountable via the justice formula for the murder, as evidenced by the delay this week in the delivery of the police report.
Andrew Marshall, a leading authority on Thailand who was once the head of Reuters’ Bangkok office but is now banned from entering the country due to his journalism critical of the royal family, told the Daily Beast that the reason for the anger towards the government “is almost unprecedented and this matter is fueled through it.
“That is why, I think, why they are suddenly backing down and pretending to revive the case,” he said. “I would not be surprised at all if it does not go anywhere, because in general, these instances do not go anywhere, what happens under those conditions is that they set up a committee to take a look at it and it takes a year or two until everyone forgets it, but this time, they have to pretend they are taking it seriously because of the fever. political atmosphere The passing government shakes.
Another Bangkok-based expat told the Daily Beast that it had not been surprising that the rates opposing Yoovidhya had been eliminated.
The murder and inability for Yoovidhya to reserve for crime has come to powerfully symbolize, for Thais, the impunity of Thailand’s super-rich elite.
However, even through Thai standards, Yoovidhya’s habit is evident. The cop, the sergeant. Major Wichean Glanprasert, the first member of his family circle to leave the rural coconut tree they were running into, went through Yoovidhya’s vehicle. The car dragged the 47-year-old policeman and his bike more than a hundred metres down a busy Bangkok road before leaving.
Police say a trace of oil leaking from the sports car led investigators directly from the crash site to the Yoovidhya compound, one of Thailand’s wealthiest families (Forbes believes the circle of relatives is worth about 20,200 millions of dollars).
Initially, the circle of relatives put a submissive worker in the frame as a scapegoat, but eventually Yoovidhya was forced to confess.
He was later charged with five counts, adding speeding, hitting and reckless driving that caused death, but was temporarily released on negligible bail. It has been administered as part of a dental procedure (drug driving would possibly be part of the new fees being opposed, reportedly).
“Boss” spent several years ignoring the summons, with no significant enforcement attempts.
The examples of rich and well-connected young people who got away with murder are not unusual in Thailand. The son of a prominent politician, for example, has been accused of shooting a policeman in the head in a crowded nightclub. He fled for a year and then returned to the country where he was acquitted due to inadequate trials and conflicting testimonies. He’s now a high-ranking police officer.
“That’s how things tend to be painted in Thailand,” Marshall said. “But because Red Bull is a global brand, it has made this story a real headache for the Thai authorities. “
But “Boss,” he says, will probably be worried about “creating this new situation where everything goes wrong” and being able to return to Thailand safely.
Why this?
“It is completely imaginable that ‘Boss’ needs a political career in Thailand. “
Yes, of course.
Red Bull did not respond to requests for comment from The Daily Beast, but has in the past walked away from Yoovidhya, saying he had no role in the business.