PATTAYA – Internationally acclaimed Russian pianist and conductor Mikhail Vasillievich Pletnev has been charged with raping a 14-year-old boy at a Thai beach resort, police said yesterday. Pletnev said the charges were the result of a misunderstanding.
Pletnev, the founder of the Russian National Orchestra, was arrested Monday evening at a restaurant in Pattaya and brought to court Tuesday to face rape charges, said police Lieutenant Colonel Omsin Sukkanka. He was released on 300 000 baht ( 000) bail, ordered to report to the court every 12 days and banned from contacting witnesses in the case.
He could face up to 20 years in jail and a fine of up to 40 000 baht ( 000) if found guilty.
In telephone interviews with The Associated Press, Pletnev described what happened to him as a “misunderstanding”.
“I have no idea how the charges came about. But I more or less know where they came from,” he said.
A business associate who gave only his first name, Sompong, said Pletnev was a victim of blackmail, but did not elaborate.Sex haven
Thailand has long been known as a haven for sex tourists and paedophiles because of widespread prostitution and lax law enforcement. Authorities have voiced intentions to crack down on such offences, and Pletnev’s arrest is one of the most prominent cases to date.
Police said the musician was detained Monday evening following a tip from Traipob Boonmasong, a Thai national who was charged with child rape for alleged involvement in a child prostitution ring. Police said they confiscated pictures of young boys, some alongside foreigners.
Evidence against Pletnev included a statement from the alleged victim, Omsin said.
“The boy said he had lived in Traipob’s house for a year and was raped by Pletnev twice. The first time was in the middle of last year and the second early this year,” Omsin said.
He added that Pletnev had appeared in some photographs with the alleged victim, but no suspicious activity was depicted. (AP)
