Vatana Charged With Encroaching On Forest Reserves In Phang Nga

[Jai Dee]

Vatana charged with encroaching on forest reserves in Phang Nga

Former Deputy Interior Minister Vatana Asavahame was charged yesterday in the Criminal Court with encroaching on 50 rai of national forest reserves in Phang Nga.

Public prosecutors named Vatana a co-defendants along with 10 other people and the Inter Palm Oil Industries Co Ltd.

The prosecutors told the court that the company and 11 defendants collaborated to encroach on the Khao Plaitoh and Khao Sok National Forest Reserves during April to December 2005.

The defendants pledged innocence.

Source: The Nation - 30 November 2006

[sriracha john]

...but he looks like such a gentle, caring, kindly, and sensitive person...

Vatana Asavahame

but he certainly does seem to have a history :

Vatana, nine others accused in Klong Dan scandal

Graft report names VIPs, senior officials: Veteran politician Vatana Asavahame and nine others will be charged with involvement in corruption surrounding the Klong Dan wastewater treatment project.

- Bangkok Post, June 11, 2003

Thai Foreign Minister Prasong Soonsiri said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had given him information showing Vatana Asavahame had been involved in marijuana trafficking for 20 years, the source, a government member of parliament, said. "Vatana gained at least 10 billion baht ($400 million) from the marijuana trade," the source quoted Prasong as saying.

- Reuters, July 7, 1994

[Siripon]

You forgot allegations of oil smuggling, evading the tax, and his son running over a policeman who tried to stop his car. I believe nothing ever happened to him.

If I remember rightly one of the sons was recently convicted of widespread cheating in an election.

[importford]

You forgot allegations of oil smuggling, evading the tax, and his son running over a policeman who tried to stop his car. I believe nothing ever happened to him.

If I remember rightly one of the sons was recently convicted of widespread cheating in an election.

What kind of proof do you have???

Edited November 30, 2006 by importford

[kmart]

You forgot allegations of oil smuggling, evading the tax, and his son running over a policeman who tried to stop his car. I believe nothing ever happened to him.

If I remember rightly one of the sons was recently convicted of widespread cheating in an election.

They had to re-stage the election about 10 times!

A friend of mine once met Asavahame Snr at some function, and said he comes over as a funny, witty, quite charming guy....

But he's Mr Influential in his Samut Prakan home turf.

[sriracha john]

You forgot allegations of oil smuggling, evading the tax, and his son running over a policeman who tried to stop his car. I believe nothing ever happened to him.

If I remember rightly one of the sons was recently convicted of widespread cheating in an election.

You're right, Siripon. I didn't have the inclination to copy over all the dozens and dozens of articles written about his various misdeeds. I should have alluded in my post there were many other things in his past.

[Steph1012]

You forgot allegations of oil smuggling, evading the tax, and his son running over a policeman who tried to stop his car. I believe nothing ever happened to him.

If I remember rightly one of the sons was recently convicted of widespread cheating in an election.

You're right, Siripon. I didn't have the inclination to copy over all the dozens and dozens of articles written about his various misdeeds. I should have alluded in my post there were many other things in his past.

Nice to see they have landed a big one, but this is not unusual behaviour in the ruling classes.

Corruption is massive across the country and politics only plays a part in who gets arrested. I.e. TRT rounded up a few unscrupulous democrats and sundry dark influences.

Now the boot is on the other foot, the non-TRT dark influences will be breathing more easily.

Only the pendulum has swung. We are certainly no nearer to cleaning anything up.

[sriracha john]

Vatana charged with encroaching on forest reserves in Phang Nga

Former Deputy Interior Minister Vatana Asavahame was charged yesterday in the Criminal Court with encroaching on 50 rai of national forest reserves in Phang Nga.

A fairly big jump from the previous article in regards to the amount of acreage involved by the conspirators.

Watana on trial over Phang Nga land deals

The Criminal Court yesterday accepted an indictment filed against former interior minister Watana Asavahame and other 10 defendants in connection with a massive forest encroachment in Phang Nga's Kapong area.

The Department of Special Litigation (DSL) said the defendants encroached on forest reserves totalling in more than 8,734 rai - 987 of which they permanently acquired - between April 1986 and December 2005.

The defendants pleaded not guilty and the court set February 19 for the first hearing for the public prosecutor's opening statement. The 10 defendants were later released on Bt500,000 bail each.

Watana said he welcomed the indictment as it would give him a chance to explain publicly what had happened. He claimed to have bought the land lawfully and said he was curious that the people who sold the plots to him had ties with people in the Thaksin government.

- The Nation

[sriracha john]

Vatana indicted for encroachment

Former deputy interior minister Vatana Asavahame was indicted yesterday on charges of forest encroachment in Phangnga province. The veteran politician is among 11 suspects charged with trespassing on 8,735 rai of protected forest in Phangnga's Kapong district in 1986 while he was deputy interior minister. Other suspects are Inter-Palm Oil Industries Co and its executives. All suspects denied the charges, which also included encroachment and illegal clearing and use of forest and forest reserve land. They are accused of violating the 1964 National Forest Reserves Act and the 1941 Forest Act. According to the prosecution writ, the suspects had cleared, set fire to and illegally taken possession of land designated as protected forest totalling 8,735 rai on the Kao Pai Toh and Kao Sok mountains from April 1986 to December 2005. The land included 987 rai of water sources in national forest reserves and 7,748 rai of forest. The alleged encroachment damaged the forest, water sources and forest land. All suspects surrendered to police in September and denied all charges. The court accepted the case and set Feb 19 for opening of the trial.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/01Dec2006_news08.php

[kmart]

Hey, where else is he gonna secretly and successfully cultivate all those marijuana plants!

[Tarragona]

But he's Mr Influential in his Samut Prakan home turf.

It's true that the clan are very powerfully locally, but it's interesting that in the last couple of general elections they and their associates have mostly failed to win seats in parliament.

Edited December 1, 2006 by Tarragona

[hammered]

But he's Mr Influential in his Samut Prakan home turf.

It's true that the clan are very powerfully locally, but it's interesting that in the last couple of general elections they and their associates have mostly failed to win seats in parliament.

Vatana is an old style influential one, and he deserves whatever he gets. However, we should also not forget how important and potentially wealthy Samut Prakhan has recently become. No doubt there have been plenty of people and groups interested in taking over the running of the province in the past few years and no doubt this has contributed to a decline in his power and fortune. Just a quick examination of the rather controversial plan of the previous government to turn the new airport and its surrounds into a new special status province under the PMs office reveals how powerful those wanting to move in are.