DSI looking into murder, land tie up

Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has stepped up a probe into a land-encroachment case in Ratchaburi linked to a high-profile murder allegedly ordered by the father of a Cabinet member in the Abhisit Vejjajiva government.

Speaking yesterday during an inspection, DSI special agent Prawuth Wongsrinil said two vast land plots involved in the case would be surveyed along with a crime scene investigation into the murder, in which Sucha Kleebbua was shot dead on a local bus in broad daylight by a lone gunman on September 21, 2009.

Sucha, the wife of a public prosecutor based in Surat Thani, owned a land plot and had paid Bt10 million to purchase another plot from the father of the unnamed politician in a Bt25-million deal. She later wanted her Bt10 million back after learning the father wanted instead to sell her another plot located on a hill, which sloped greater than 25 degrees, making it non-transferable under the land law.

One of the plots under investigation is owned by a deputy head of the provincial palm plantation cooperative, which covers an entire hill, while the other is an encroachment on a level area, covering around 500 rai, said Prawut, the case investigator. He will visit Ratchaburi again on February 9, with Thirachai Wutthitham, a secretary to the justice minister.

Prawuth said the murder victim also wanted to rent a different plot from a lease scheme offered by the government, but her application for the rent was also challenged by the father, who rented or owned more than 1,000 rai in Ratchaburi. Reportedly he wanted to sell the property, not use it for farming as expected under the spirit of the lease scheme.

Developers and financiers, mostly senior officials and influential people with political connections based in the South, have encroached extensively on land in Ratchaburi, which is mostly non-transferable under supervision of the Treasury Department, and governed by the military as it is a border province. The DSI, the department and the military are jointly working on legal amendments to make prosecution of offenders easier.

Legal technicalities have been problematic for suppression of forest and land encroachment in this province. During a 1989 crackdown by the Crime Suppression Department, most offenders and encroachers had their cases dismissed by public prosecutors on grounds of insufficient evidence or legal technicalities.

-- The Nation 2012-02-06

Amazing Thailand!

The title of this article is very tame by The Nation standard.

May I suggest the following headlines, more in line in what we were used to expect from The Nation :

Abhisit government linked to high profile murder.

Abhisit close aide ordered murder in land deal turned sour.

Abhisit government embroiled in shaddy land deal. Wife of lawmaker shot dead by father of PM close associate.

Edited February 6, 201214 yr by JurgenG

You can see the political gamesmanship and point scoring by insultingly drawing Khun Abhisit into it.

I find it laughable that, in fact risible, that hsi parents who were both University graduates in England, fluent in English and obviously experienced in other cultures and highly intelligent should [ the father ] be smeared in this way.

It is a disgusting piece of journalism that sinks to the lowest level.

What is the real story is the mindless thugs who continue to murder in this way as ordered by Thailands' continuing and unchecked 'dark figures.'

They are known to the authorities but remain a threat to society.

Appalling state of affairs.