Thailand’s attorney general has ordered a fresh investigation into the heir to the Red Bull fortune, following public anger over a decision to drop previous charges relating to a fatal hit-and-run.
Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, the grandson of the Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya, was accused of crashing his Ferrari into a police officer in 2012 and dragging his body for dozens of metres before fleeing the scene.
At the time, investigators followed a trail of brake fluid that led from the site of the crash to a home in one of Bangkok’s wealthy neighbourhoods, where Vorayuth’s damaged car was parked.
The case has faced constant delays, with Vorayuth, who was 27 at the time of the crash, missing eight summonses to appear in court. Last month, police said the charges against him were being dropped, citing new evidence, a decision that provoked anger and was seen by many as proof that the rich and influential can evade justice.
On Tuesday, the attorney general’s office – which had announced a review following the public outcry – said it would recommend that police reinvestigate the case.
A spokesman cited new evidence relating to the speed at which Vorayuth was driving prior to the crash, previously said to have been about 80km/h (50mph). According to an expert opinion previously not included in the police report, Vorayuth is alleged to have driven at about 170km/h (105mph).
“This case is not over because the law says if there is new evidence, we are able to proceed,” Prayut Phetkun, the office’s deputy spokesman said.
Last week, a key defence witness, Charuchart Martthong, was killed in a motorbike accident in the northern city of Chiang Mai. He had told investigators that Vorayuth was not speeding at the time of the crash, and is likely to have been interviewed again as part of the new inquiries.
Vorayuth could also face a new charge relating to alleged drug use, as, according to a police report, blood tests after the incident showed traces of cocaine. Last week, police told a parliamentary committee that they had not pressed charges because Vorayuth’s dentist had said that medicines including cocaine had been administered for dental treatment.
Faced with public anger and calls for a boycott of their products within Thailand, TCP Group, which owns the Thai Red Bull brand, recently sought to distance itself from the case. It stated that Vorayuth has “never assumed any role in the management and daily operations of TCP Group, was never a shareholder, nor has he held any executive position within TCP Group”.
Vorayuth’s grandfather was listed as the third-richest person in Thailand when he died in 2012 aged 88, with an estimated net worth of $5bn, according to Forbes magazine.
After the recent announcement that charges would be dropped against Vorayuth, the government spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat said the prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, was “uncomfortable” with the news, and denied he had any involvement with the decision.
Anger over the handling of the case comes at a time when a growing, youth-led protest movement is calling for the resignation of the government, which they say has eroded democracy and is holding their country back. On top of almost daily protests by students, Prayuth is also facing an economy battered by Covid-19 and travel restrictions.
Reuters contributed to this report.
