Thailand’s crown prosecutors are preparing to formally charge eight people for allegedly mishandling the hit-and-run case against Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya in 2012. Thailand’s Crown prosecutors announced they will arraign eight people on Thursday.

The eight accused include former national police head Pol Gen Somyot Poompanmuang and former deputy attorney-general Nate Naksuk. The remaining six suspects are Pol Maj-Gen Thawatchai Mekprasertuk, Pol Col Veeradol Taptimdee, Chainarong Sangthongaram, Thanit Buakhiew, Chuchai Lertpongadisorn, and Associate Professor Saiprasit Kerdniyom.

Watcharin Phanurat, deputy prosecution director-general of the Office of Investigation, announced today that the eight suspects will report to the office before being taken to the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases for formal indictment.

The individuals face several counts, he stated. Nate Naksuk will face charges of misconduct in office for dismissing Vorayuth’s speeding charge, while others will be accused with conspiring to change the speed of Vorayuth’s Ferrari in the police report to help him avoid the speeding charge.

Red Bull Heir — **Vorayuth drove his Ferrari into a policeman on the night of September 4th, 2012**

Watcharin estimates that the proceedings will take around another year to conclude. Despite the high standing of some of the suspects, he stated that he is not concerned because his responsibility is to make the truth about this infamous case known.

The majority of the accusations against Vorayuth, including speeding and failure to assist an accident victim, have been withdrawn due to the statute of limitations having expired. The one remaining charge is reckless driving causing death will expire in 2027.

Police On September 3, 2012, Vorayuth Yoovidhya, the grandson of billionaire Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya, killed Sgt. Maj. Wichian Klanprasert in a hit-and-run incident in Bangkok, Thailand.

Vorayuth was charged with speeding, fleeing the scene of an accident, and careless driving resulting in death, but he has never been caught.

The speeding charge’s statute of limitations expired in September 2013, while the fleeing the scene of an accident accusation expired in September 2017. The statue of limitations for reckless driving causing death will expire in 2027.

All allegations against him were dismissed in July 2020, prompting Thursday’s indictment of the eight accused.

According to Forbes, Vorayuth’s family is Thailand’s second-richest, with an estimated net worth of US$26.4 billion (967.8 billion baht).