In the government building under construction collapse case in Bangkok, Thailand on March 28, the Thai court issued arrest warrants for 17 company directors and engineers involved in the construction of the building. Construction tycoon and former chairman of the large construction company Italian-Thai Development (ITD), Premchai Karnasuta, surrendered to the police on the morning of the 16th.
Premchai Karnasuta is a tycoon in the Thai construction industry, previously sentenced to 16 months in prison in 2021 for illegal possession of firearms and assisting in the poaching of protected animals.
Premchai reported to the police station accompanied by his lawyer. He remained silent outside the police station when pursued by numerous media reporters, answering no questions.
Other suspects include an engineer who certified the original design and the executive vice president of ITD, who also reported to the police station accompanied by their lawyers.
The suspects face criminal charges, accused of professional negligence during the architectural design, supervision, or construction process, leading to casualties.
The Thai Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the 17 individuals involved on the 15th. The collapsed building, the Audit Office Building, was a project managed by the joint venture "ITD-CREC", a collaboration between Italian-Thai Development Company and China Railway No.10 Bureau (Thailand). The joint venture is currently under investigation by multiple government departments in three key areas: the cause of the building's collapse, Thais holding shares on behalf of foreign nationals, and the use of non-compliant building materials.
Authorities have stated that 89 bodies have been found in the rubble at the collapse site, with 7 people still missing.