Revamp of Justice System by Vicha is Gaining Attention

Graftbuster Vicha Mahakun has made suggestions for a revamp of the justice system after his study of the hit-and – run case involving the Red Bull scion. He said fine-tuning legislation regulating the police force and criminal practices would ensure relevant agencies adhere to the same requirements.

The suggestions included findings that police probes lack independence and are vulnerable to grafting, while information can be manipulated and facts can be skewed. The recommendations were in his four-page study he produced after being appointed to investigate the 2012 hit-and – run case by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, in which criminal charges against the Red Bull scion were dropped after meeting their restriction statutes.

Various law enforcement divisions responsible for the initial inquiry were not in agreement, and some regulations had loopholes enabling the investigation to proceed slowly, resulting in the delay of the indictment. Although the criminal investigative process has struggled to keep up with the times and social and economic circumstances, the laws still offer leeway for wrongdoing by state officials, the study noted.

With respect to Mr. Vorayuth, Mr. Vicha claimed that the Special Investigation Department (DSI) and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) had agreed to investigate his case on two fronts: corruption and drugs. When the 2012 incident occurred, the DSI and NACC will look to see whether drugs were used and if corruption was at play when the various criminal charges of Mr Vorayuth were dropped over the past few years.

The agencies will focus on the two separate issues in the case. In fact, The department will concentrate its investigation on the suspected use of cocaine and reckless driving by Mr. Vorayuth, which caused the death of a Bangkok police officer eight years ago. On the other hand, the NACC is interested in whether officials have played a role in dropping multiple charges against Mr Vorayuth, especially police officers and prosecutors.

Mr. Vicha, who heads a state-appointed committee investigating the alleged mishandling of the hit-and – run case, said the acceptance of the case by the DSI and NACC indicates that the authorities are not “sitting on their hands” as critics alleged.

Related Article: https://www.theasianaffairs.com/thailand/2020/08/01/dentist-refuses-to-use-cocaine-for-treatment/