The natural resources and environment police chief on Monday said he would seek an arrest warrant for the wife of embattled Italian-Thai Development president Premchai Karnasuta if she fails to meet police on Tuesday concerning her alleged possession of elephant tusks without a permit.
Kanittha Karntasuta had sought postponement of the first summons last week to acknowledge a charge following the discovery that the tusks in her house were actually from African elephants, not domestic ones as mentioned in the permit. Another woman, Wandee Sompum, was also summonsed as she countersigned as a witness in the permit application. Police rejected the request and issued the second summons for both women to meet them on Tuesday at 11am. Pol Maj General Panya Pinsuk said that, so far, neither woman had contacted police about the appointment. “If they fail to meet police on Tuesday at the set time, we will ask the court to issue arrest warrants for them,” Panya said.
The two pairs of tusks were found in Premchai’s house in Bangkok and the permits issued identified them as being from local elephants. However, lab test found that they were from African elephants. The raid at the house resulted from the expansion of an investigation into Premchai’s alleged poaching in Thung Yai Naresuan wildlife sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province in early February. The tycoon, who has already met police to face a charge in relation to the two pairs of tusks, was also accused of offering and jointly offering bribes to forest rangers in exchange for his freedom following the arrest. NTN
Premchai’s wife may face arrest over elephant tusks
