The head of the independent panel, appointed by the Government to investigate the handling of the Red Bull heir’s hit-and-run case by the police and public prosecutors, has announced that their findings must lead to changes in the two law enforcement agencies, otherwise the probe will have been pointless.

The panel’s chairman, Vicha Mahakhun, told the media on Wednesday that his panel will look at the big picture, concerning the performance of both the police and public prosecutors in their handling of the controversial case.

He said they will consider the reports of the panels of public prosecutors and police investigating the case and will invite witnesses, and others related to the case, to give testimony.

The Secretary-General of the Council of State, who is a member of Vicha’s panel, has been assigned to look into the legal issues surrounding the case.

The panel of public prosecutors, investigating the handling of the case, made a dramatic about turn yesterday, saying that the Red Bull heir, Vorayuth Yoovidhya, could still be charged with drug abuse, for allegedly using cocaine before the fatal road accident, and for reckless driving, causing death to other people.

The panel claimed that the police had not included the drug abuse issue in their investigative report on the case.  Additionally, the panel claimed that the conclusion of a physics lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, who works for the police forensic science department, claiming that Vorayuth’s Ferrari was travelling at a speed of 177kph at the time of the accident, was also not included in the police report.

Earlier, prosecutors in charge of the case, with the approval of the Office of Attorney General (OAG), decided not to indict Vorayuth on the outstanding charge of reckless driving causing death to other people. The decision was not challenged by the police, who revoked the arrest warrant against him.