Anti-human trafficking organisations have demanded an update on the progress of an investigation into a prosecutor’s decision to drop charges against key suspects in last year’s Victoria Secret brothel crackdown in Bangkok.
The suspects are Nipa and Tanapol Wirathepsuporn, the wife and son of Kampol Wirathepsuporn who is believed to be the owner of the Victoria Secret soapy massage parlour.
The investigation followed a raid on the venue on Rama IX Road in Bangkok where 80 women, including underage girls from Myanmar, had worked as prostitutes at the thinly-veiled brothel.
Chalirat Thimbut, the coordinator of the Anti-Human Trafficking Network (ATN), said the network earlier called on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to look into the case. The premier later ordered a probe panel be set up to vet the prosecutor’s decision not to indict the pair.
The panel summoned the network which consists of 13 anti-human trafficking organisations to testify on 26th February. The panel is headed by the director-general of the Department of Appellate Litigation Nate Naksuk, then acting deputy attorney-general, who dropped charges against Red Bull heir Vorayuth or “Boss” Yoovidhya, suspect in a hit-and-run case.
The ATN coordinator said she came to ask about progress in the Victoria Secret case since they were concerned over the probe’s results under the supervision of Mr Naksuk.
The network demanded to know the reasons why the prosecutor acquitted the suspects in the Victoria Secret case and whether police were trying to bring them to court.
Chairman of the Ronnasit Foundation Ronnasit Proeksayajiva, also a member of the network, said although the prosecutor who dropped charges against the suspects in the Victoria Secret case was not Mr Naksuk, he still did not trust the official.
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