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BANGKOK: The Red Bull Billions heir to be charged with reckless driving and cocaine use in a fatal hit-and-run, Thailand’s attorney general said on Friday (September 18), following public outrage after his charges were dropped. in July.
Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya was accused of killing a police officer in 2012 after crashing his Ferrari in Bangkok, a case that has dragged on for years.
In July, the Thailand Attorney General’s Office abruptly dropped the charges against him despite the seven years remaining in the statute of limitations.
The move sparked outrage from Thais, who saw it as another example of impunity enjoyed by the kingdom’s elite, pressuring authorities to re-investigate the case.
Following a new investigation by the attorney general’s office, he announced on Friday that they will prosecute Vorayuth.
“In this case important new evidence has emerged that can be used to prosecute the suspect, Vorayuth” Boss “Yoovidhya, on charges of reckless driving causing death,” according to a statement.
“The suspect will also be charged with using cocaine.”
READ: New evidence in Thai Red Bull hit-and-run case, says prosecutor’s office
As the grandson of Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya, the 38-year-old is part of a clan that boasts a net worth of $ 20.2 billion, making it the second-richest family in Thailand, according to Forbes.
After his previous charges were dropped, Thais took to Twitter to express his anger with the hashtag #BoycottRedbull.
In addition to the attorney general’s investigation, the police also opened a new investigation. A new arrest warrant was issued last month for the fugitive heir, who fled the country in 2017 on a private jet.
Vorayuth’s attorney, Samack Chouvaparnante, did not respond to phone calls on Friday seeking comment.
Samack has previously said that his client denied all charges.
Vorayuth missed eight subpoenas before authorities issued an arrest warrant five years after the incident. She later disappeared, apparently abroad, according to posts on social media.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha’s office also launched an investigation, which concluded last month that the entire investigation had been “compromised”, with police officers, attorneys general and political figures involved to “weaken the case.”
READ: Red Bull heir hit-and-run case is ‘dishonest’, says Thai prime minister’s investigation
Public outrage over the case comes at a particularly tense period for the government as a burgeoning pro-democracy movement has accelerated with almost daily protests across the country.
Protesters have carried cardboard cutouts of the Red Bull logo to symbolize their anger at the Prayut administration, which enjoys close alliances with the kingdom’s billionaire clans.
