Prompong Suspects 'Foreigners' In Phuket Illegal Land Grab

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Prompong suspects 'foreigners' in Phuket illegal land grab

Phuket Gazette

Government Spokesman Prompong Nopparit (right) arrives in force to inspect 20 rai near Freedom Beach that he believes were acquired illegally by foreigners, likely with the help of corrupt officials. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PROTECTED LAND? The 20 rai of land under investigation this time sits on the hillside on the far side of Freedom Bay. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- Government Spokesman Prompong Nopparit today announced that he believes foreigners were involved in the illegal acquisition of protected forest land on the headland south of Patong Beach, on Phuket’s west coast.

Leading an entourage of about 20 people, Mr Prompong this morning inspected the 20-rai plot of land in question, located near Freedom Beach.

He also led the questioning this afternoon of Phuket Land Office official Somchai Chaisri, who was answering questions on behalf of Phuket Land Office Chief Sithichai Promchart.

Mr Sithichai was unavailable to answer questions today, but has already voiced his support for the series of investigations into illegal Phuket land titles.

During questioning, Mr Somchai explained that ownership of the land had changed hands many times over the years.

In great detail, he read out example after example of applications for transfer of ownership of the land, transfers that were approved and even transfers that were denied due to inadequate documentation.

However, some critical information was not recorded, Mr Prompong discovered.

In response, all Mr Somchai could reply was, “I was not even working in Phuket at the time.”

Noting the complications, Mr Prompong said all the evidence collected during the investigation by the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) will be taken back to Bangkok for further examination.

Mr Prompong told the press earlier today that the land in question had been transferred into the ownership of a private company that had foreign shareholders.

“We will investigate further into what percentage of the company the foreigners own,” he said.

The visit by Mr Prompong and his team of inspectors today follows PACC Secretary-General Dusadee Arayawuth's public announcement yesterday that he suspects skulduggery – possibly involving government officers – in issuing land titles for the prime, pristine real estate.

“A Chanote title was issued for the land, but the land was not even covered by a SorKor 1 [land document], and the land is believed to be inside a protected forest area.

“For both reasons, the land cannot be issued a valid land title deed,” Mr Dusadee said.

He explained that his suspicions were aroused when his investigation revealed that the same Chanote title number for the land now had been issued on two other occasions for the same land: Chanote Number: 89530.

“PACC officers discovered that the land survey map sheet number was registered on January 18, 1990, and a Chanote title was issued three times thereafter. This is illegal since a Chanote title can be issued only once,” he said.

Another factor clouding the issue is the matter of the land status: protected or not.

“Documents produced by the Phuket Provincial Land Office [PPLO] surveyor, who previously inspected the land, state that the land is in a protected forest area.

“However, officers from the Phuket Provincial Forestry Office claim to have reported to the PPLO that the area in question is not in a protected forest,” he said.

PACC officers also believe that the area was once a protected cattle field and was first registered in 1938. It was only in 1991 that the Chanote title was canceled since the area was included in the Nakkerd Hills protected forest.

Mr Dusadee noted similarities in how the Chanote title was issued for the 20-rai plot and for the land at Freedom Beach his office is also investigating.

He suspects it will take another two months to inspect the documentary evidence before the PACC can reach a conclusion as to who is involved.

Also, he was uncertain whether the investigation into the 20-rai plot will be conducted by the same team currently investigating the Freedom Beech land.

“From our initial investigation, the officers involved might be in higher positions than the PAAC officers investigating the case.

“If this is true, the PACC will likely report their findings to the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission for their action,” he said.

More probes into Phuket land grab scandals are likely in the near future. Before the day’s end, Mr Prompong told the press he would next turn his attention to a 90-rai plot adjacent to the 20 rai already under investigation.

“We will investigate that next,” he said.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16040.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-05-26

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Phuket forestry officials face probe over false documents

The Nation

PHUKET: -- Some Phuketbased forestry officials will soon be subject to a criminal investigation after it was alleged that they issued false documents declaring vast areas of two forest reserves as not being under state protection, the Public Sector AntiCorruption Commission (PACC) said yesterday.

This practice was possibly adopted by the same group of officials who put a part of Freedom Beach under private ownership, PACC secretarygeneral Dussadee Arayawuth said, adding that the commission would need another two months to compile evidence.

Meanwhile, a 20rai (3.2hectare) plot straddling the Khuan Laem Toey grassland and the Nark Kerd forest reserve in Phuket is now owned by a private firm because local forestry officials issued false documents saying the plot was outside these protected areas.

Dussadee said the landownership papers suspiciously changed hands three times, before the land ended up being officially owned by an unidentified company in 2008, after it acquired the property in 1989.

The 140rai Khuan Laem Toey grassland was registered as state property in 1937, and since the forest reserve is in a sloping area, no part of it can be owned privately, the PACC chief explained.

At a news conference yesterday, he thanked the people who brought the issue to the PACC, adding that the commission welcomed any tipoffs via its 1260 hotline.

-- The Nation 2012-05-26

[Jimi007]

Ah yes, blame foreigners for the "land grab" not the corrupt Thai Government officials who took bribes and made false documents. Sad to say all too typical of Thai Government officials.