Estate Ruling Will Affect Hundreds

[Lite Beer]

ALPINE CASE

Estate ruling will affect hundreds

Thanapat Kitjakosol

The Nation on Sunday

Sri Srichai, a former farmer, is among the members of 50 families who rented temple land to grow rice and refuse to be evicted by the Alpine group. They have been allocated a small plot to live on.

PATHUM THANI: -- Land scandal casts cloud over future of residents, farming community and golf club members

Rachtanee Estate residents in Pathum Thani's Klong Luang district and a community of former farmers related to the Alpine land controversy have vowed to fight any move to relocate them without justice, after ownership of their land was revoked and declared monastic property. They said they were victims of collusion between state officials and politicians.

The Alpine land controversy re-emerged after the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) ruled 6-3 on June 13 that Yongyuth Wichaidit - now a deputy prime minister - violated Section 157 of the Criminal Code and committed malfeasance by certifying the sale of monastic land belonging to Wat Thammikaram to Alpine Real Estate Co and Alpine Golf & Sports Club Co on March 13, 2002, when he was deputy permanent secretary at the Interior ministry.

The NACC sent the Interior Ministry a recommendation that Yongyuth be dismissed and has requested that the Attorney General indict him.

Yongyuth, however, insists he is innocent until proven otherwise by a court. Besides, he said three members of the NACC believed he was innocent and the Attorney General had yet to decide whether to indict him.

People who would be affected if the Alpine land is declared to be monastic property include over 300 families who bought land and houses in the estate (each paid between Bt2-3 million for a single house); 50 former farmers for whom plots of land were set aside after they were left unable to make a living from rice farming; and 900 members of the Alpine golf club.

Boon Vanasin, president of Rachtanee Estate Co, which owns the Alpine plot, has urged the government to pay Bt6 billion in compensation to the company and people who bought the houses if the land title deeds for the 924-rai plot are revoked.

Former farmer Sri Srichai, 61, believed he was a victim of politicians and government officials who colluded to cheat Wat Thammikaram through a shrouded deal to obtain monastic land.

He is from one of about 50 families of ex-farmers who rented the temple's land to grow rice and refused to be evicted by the Alpine group. They were given one rai for every 30 rai of rice they planted, and live in a community called Soi Samakki.

Wirat Kammuang, a village chief of Tambon Klong 5, said people involved are split over whether they should move off the land. Some like Sri believed they should be allowed to continue living there since they had done no wrong and had spent money building houses and a community. Infrastructure such as roads and a large golf course had replaced the rice farm, and he said it would be ridiculous if these things had to be demolished.

"If the land is finally returned to the temple, at least the golf course and people who have houses here should be allowed to rent the land from the temple. That is a better alternative than relocating people and destroying everything,'' Wirat said.

Others such as Kwanchai Sangdithi, 39, said affected people must get satisfactory compensation if they have to relocate - if the government decides the land must be returned to the temple. "I was misled that all court cases against the Alpine group had been dropped, so I bought my house for Bt2.5 million, and if I receive compensation not less than this, I am ready to push off,'' she said.

-- The Nation 2012-09-16

[bigbamboo]

A temple with it's own golf course!

[Soutpeel]

A temple with it's own golf course!

Means you can convienently pray for a good round before you tee off...

[ramrod711]

Yongyuth, however, insists he is innocent until proven otherwise by a court. Besides, he said three members of the NACC believed he was innocent and the Attorney General had yet to decide whether to indict him.

Would Yongyuth be using the same argument if three of the members thought he was guilty, NO! Does he mean to say, give me a bit more time to buy off two more members so I can walk, probably.