Construction magnate surrenders to police over Bangkok tower collapse in earthquake

Premchai Karnasuta, the president of Italian-Thai Development Co arrives connected a wheelchair astatine Bang Sue Police Station successful Bangkok, Thailand connected Friday to surrender to constabulary connected transgression negligence charges for the illness of a Bangkok high-rise during a March 28 earthquake. Sakchai Lalit/AP hide caption

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Sakchai Lalit/AP

BANGKOK — A operation magnate, builders, designers and engineers surrendered to constabulary Friday connected transgression negligence charges for the deadly illness of a Bangkok high-rise successful the March 28 earthquake that deed Myanmar.

Premchai Karnasuta, the president of Italian-Thai Development Co, the main Thai contractor for the gathering project, arsenic good arsenic designers and engineers were among 17 charged with the felony of nonrecreational negligence causing death, Bangkok lawman constabulary main Noppasin Poonsawat said.

Noppasin said those who met constabulary connected Friday formally denied the charges. Several person antecedently issued nationalist denials successful effect to allegations successful the media.

Ninety-two radical were confirmed dormant successful the rubble of the gathering that had been nether operation and a tiny fig of different radical stay unaccounted for. The building, which was to go a caller State Audit Office, was the lone 1 successful Thailand to illness successful the earthquake that was centered successful neighboring Myanmar. The hunt for victims astatine the tract has been halted, though efforts to place remains done DNA volition continue.

Noppasin said astatine a quality league that grounds and grounds from experts suggested the gathering program did not conscionable standards and codes. The Bangkok Post paper said constabulary had besides determined the task showed "structural flaws successful the halfway assistance shaft and substandard factual and steel."

Thai media person reported allegations of wrongdoing successful the task astir each time since the building's collapse, galore of them involving irregular documentation for the project. Their reports person highlighted the relation of Italian-Thai's Chinese associated task partner, the China Railway No. 10 company, which is progressive successful projects astir the world.

One of the 17 charged Friday was Chinese enforcement Zhang Chuanling, a manager astatine China Railway No. 10's associated task with Italian-Thai Development. He was antecedently arrested past period connected a complaint of violating Thai concern instrumentality by wrongly utilizing Thai nominees to service arsenic the Chinese firm's proxies to allegedly power the associated venture. Three Thai executives were besides arrested connected the charge.

A Criminal Court issued apprehension warrants for the 17 connected the negligence complaint connected Thursday. Noppasin said 15 turned themselves successful astatine a constabulary presumption successful the greeting and the remaining 2 were expected to bash truthful aboriginal Friday.

The epicenter of the quake was successful cardinal Myanmar, wherever it killed much than 3,700 radical and caused large harm successful Mandalay, the country's 2nd biggest city, and the superior Naypyitaw.

Premchai's lawsuit is his 2nd large tangle with the law. In 2019, helium was convicted of wildlife poaching and served astir 3 years successful prison.

He was recovered blameworthy of sidesplitting protected animals and amerciable possession of weapons aft parkland rangers recovered a hunting enactment astatine a wildlife sanctuary successful 2018 with carcasses of a uncommon achromatic panther, a kalij pheasant and a barking deer. The panther had been butchered and its nutrient cooked for soup.