Bangkok South Criminal Court filed, on Tuesday, an arrest warrant based on three additional charges against Red Bull Heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya for a 2012 hit and run incident that left a police officer dead.
Vorayuth was wanted for hitting and killing a policeman with his luxury sports car in the early morning of September 3, 2012. Local media reported at the time that he may have been under the influence.
Attempts to cover up the crime led to the suspension of a police officer and sparked outraged in Thailand where wealthy and powerful individuals are rarely held to account for traffic accidents.
The Office of the Attorney General seemed to confirm this perceive biases by dropping charges against Vorayuth late last month because two new witnesses had come forward.
The decision prompted public outcry on both sides of Thailand’s political divide and forced parliament to establish an investigative committee. One of the witnesses later died in what authorities said was a traffic accident.
On Tuesday, the court said that new evidence, testimony in the 8 year old case has been put forward prompting the court to order arrest warrants for Vorayuth for three new charges including reckless driving leading to death, not stopping to help an injured person and driving under the influence.
Vorayuth is currently not in Thailand and has been abroad fleeing from the case for the past eight years.
The case has sparked scrutiny of Thailand’s large income divide, the Yoovidhya family is estimated to be worth $13.1 billion in a country where the average daily income is slightly more than 10 dollars per day.
