Eight people on trail in Thailand over Red Bull heir's alleged hit and run By Lauren Day , ABC South-East Asia correspondent There's a saying in Thailand: "Only the poor go to jail." And no case proves it like that of Red Bull heir Vorayuth "Boss" Yoovidhya. In the early hours of 3 September, 2012, the then-27-year-old allegedly smashed his Ferrari into the back of a police officer's motorbike on a busy Bangkok road.
The officer was flung from the bike, dragged almost 200 metres under the car and died at the scene. But by the time police arrived, Yoovidhya had already sped away. A trail of oil leaking from the sports car led investigators to his luxury home and medical tests reportedly taken in the hours after the crash showed alcohol and cocaine in his bloodstream.
Police originally accused Yoovidhya of travelling at 177 kilometres per hour in an 80kph zone. He was subsequently charged with five criminal counts, including speeding, hit-and-run, and reckless driving causing death. But 12 years later, the heir to a family fortune estimated at around $US36 billion (NZ$59.
6b) is still yet to face court. Instead, the high-flying fugitive has spent over a decade globe-trotting in private jets to attend Formula 1 races, snowboard in Japan and go cruising in Venice. This week, eight people accused of helping him escape punishment will face the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct (CCCM).
But what is really on trial is the widely held belief that there are two justice systems.