Thai Tycoon Gets Six-Month Jail Sentence Over Hunting Rifles

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Italian-Thai Development Pcl President Premchai Karnasuta was sentenced to six months in jail for carrying hunting rifles in a case related to poaching.

The Criminal Court handed down the ruling Tuesday in Bangkok, saying it won’t be suspended. Premchai was bailed and his lawyer said he’d appeal the verdict.

Premchai was previously found guilty of illegal hunting as well as attempting to bribe park officials. Co-defendants in March were convicted of possessing the carcass of a black panther.

The tycoon and his family control Italian-Thai Development, one of the country’s top builders.

The cases have been closely followed in Thailand, where the justice system is often viewed as favoring the rich and powerful. Premchai’s hunting party was found in a wildlife sanctuary in February last year and pictures of the discovery went viral.

To contact the reporter on this story: Natnicha Chuwiruch in Bangkok at nchuwiruch@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sunil Jagtiani at sjagtiani@bloomberg.net, Yumi Teso

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