Former Interior Minister Released On Bail

[george]

Former interior minister released on bail

BANGKOK: -- Former interior minister Watana Asawahem was released on bail by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on Thursday after he reported to the DSI on charges of intruding and illegally occupying a national conservative forest area in the country's southern resort province of Phang-nga.

The DSI issued an arrest warrant against Mr. Watana on Wednesday and led a police force to search for evidence in his house in Patanakarn area Thursday morning, the result of which has not yet been revealed.

The DSI charged that the former interior minister and 16 other associates, including a private firm-- named Inter Palmoil Industry Co, as well as a group of government officials and local politicians, conspired to intrude and illegally occupy the over 10,000 rai forest area, located in Phang-nga's Kapong District.

Mr. Watana brought a pile of documents to show that the forest area was legally occupied when he turned himself in to the DSI.

He denied all the charges, saying that he purchased the area with the entitled documents from a former owner of the area, identified as Mr. Somkuan Tannaphai, who was also said to be the former owner of Inter Palmoil Industry Co.

However, the DSI's Director-General Pol. Gen. Sombat Amornvivat told journalists after initially questioning Mr. Watana that the DSI had received a confirmation from the Department of Land that the area is virtually a national conservative forest, and that a group of corrupt officials had illegally issue a land deed to the intruders.

Pol. Gen. Sombat said that the DSI would investigate how Mr. Somkuan had acquired the land entitlement, and that he had asked the Department of Land to suspend the entitlement of the forest area.

The DSI, nonetheless, allowed Mr. Watana to be released on bail pending the further investigation.

--TNA 2005-09-08

[ilyushin]

Isn't he (Mr. Watana)the owner of Ananda and Sunflower Tours?

Wonder if he gets time?

Saw the property on TV. Very NICE.

Edited September 8, 2005 by ilyushin

[sriracha john]

Isn't he (Mr. Watana)the owner of Ananda and Sunflower Tours?

Wonder if he gets time?

Saw the property on TV. Very NICE.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

so did I... and not exactly a small tract of land... it's

1 0 , 0 0 0 rai....

[ilyushin]

Isn't he (Mr. Watana)the owner of Ananda and Sunflower Tours?

Wonder if he gets time?

Saw the property on TV. Very NICE.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

so did I... and not exactly a small tract of land... it's

1 0 , 0 0 0 rai....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Larger than my 25 rai.

How did 10,000 rai get past the land and tax dept?

Not any longer , guess someone else wants it!