BANGKOK (AP) – On Friday, construction magnates, builders, designers, and engineers turned themselves in to the authorities. A significant earthquake on March 28th had struck Myanmar.
According to Deputy Director of Bangkok Noppasin Puongwatt, among the 17 individuals charged with professional negligence resulting in death are the president of Italy Thailand Development Co., Ltd., along with the architect and engineer of the project.
Noppasin noted that those who reported to police on Friday officially denied the allegations. Several had previously denied the charges publicly in light of media scrutiny.
The death toll currently stands at 92 individuals confirmed dead from the building collapse, with a few others still unaccounted for. The structure, intended to be a new state auditorium, was the only one in Thailand to collapse due to the seismic activity centered in nearby Myanmar. Despite the halt of site operations, the search for victims will persist, with ongoing DNA identification efforts.
At a press conference, Noppasin stated that evidence and expert testimonies indicate the building did not adhere to standards and codes. A report by the Bangkok Post highlighted that police found “structural defects in core lift shafts as well as substandard concrete and steel.”
Thai media has reported on allegations of fraud associated with the project nearly every day since the building’s collapse, frequently referencing irregular documents linked to the initiative and shedding light on the involvement of Chinese joint ventures with Italy and Thailand, particularly the China Railway Company No. 10, which has been involved in projects worldwide.
Among the 17 individuals charged on Friday was Zhang Chuanling, an executive from China and director of the joint venture with Italian and Thai developers. He had been arrested previously for infringing on Thai business laws by misusing a Thai candidate and operating the joint venture as an agent for a Chinese company. Additionally, three Thai executives faced related charges.
A warrant was issued by the Crown Court on Thursday for the negligence charges against the 17 individuals. Noppasin mentioned that 15 of them reported to the police station in the morning, with the remaining two expected to do so later that day.
The earthquake’s epicenter was located in Myanmar, which has witnessed over 3,700 fatalities and substantial destruction in Mandalay, the nation’s second-largest city, as well as in the capital, Naypyidaw.
The ongoing legal saga surrounding Premchai is a continuation of previous issues with the law. In 2019, he was found guilty of wildlife hoarding and served approximately three years in prison.
In 2018, he was discovered by park rangers after a hunting party was found in a wildlife sanctuary, where they had killed a protected animal and committed illegal possession of a weapon. The panther’s meat was reportedly cooked for soup.
Source: apnews.com