A Thai construction magnate convicted of poaching protected animals gets early release from prison

abcnews.go.com:

A Thai construction magnate whose conviction on poaching charges became a rare example of the rich and influential facing justice in the country was freed on parole, two months before his prison term ends

BANGKOK — A Thai construction magnate whose conviction on wildlife poaching charges became a rare example of the rich and influential facing justice in the country was freed Tuesday on parole, two months before his prison term ends, authorities said.

Premchai Karnasuta, chairman of Italian-Thai Development Plc, one of Thailand’s top construction firms, was convicted of killing protected animals and illegal possession of weapons when rangers in Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in western Thailand came across him and a small party of his employees at a campsite in February 2018.

They were found with guns and the carcasses nearby of a rare black panther, a kalij pheasant and a barking deer. The black panther, which is a member of the leopard species, been butchered and its meat cooked up for soup.

The sanctuary is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s listed for its rare flora and fauna.

The Corrections Department said the 69-year-old Premchai was among more than 100 prisoners getting early release, and that he was exempted from having to wear an electronic ankle monitor because the device would aggravate wounds on his ankles caused by diabetes.

Premchai was initially convicted in 2019 and ultimately sentenced on several charges to a three-year, two-month prison term, as well as ordered to pay a share of a 2 million baht ($59,700) fine. Two men arrested with him – a driver and a hunter – also received prison sentences and fines.

Premchai’s conviction was affirmed by Thailand's Supreme Court in December 2021, and due