Surveyor is Key Suspect in Encroachment Case

[Jacob Maslow]

A land surveyor at the Agricultural Land Reform Office in Nakhon Ratchasima is now the key suspect in the land encroachment issues plaguing the Pak Chong district. The surveyor, Porntawee Sutantirat, is suspected of handing out incorrect title deeds.

Reportedly, Ms. Porntawee came under suspicion after she illegally extended the space covered in her husband’s land rights documents. The land rights documents covered 30 rai initially, but once they were converted to land title deeds, the size of the land expanded to 155 rai. Reportedly, that expansion encroached on approximately 130 rai of land designed for agricultural reform. All of these claims were alleged by an informed source who came forward yesterday.

Evidence suggest that Ms. Porntawee’s husband sub-divided the plots and sold them to people for approximately 10 million baht per rai.

Dusadee Arawuit, deputy permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry, stated that he already looked into the allegations against Ms. Porntawee. He said the initial probe suggested nine officials might be involved in the illegitimate issuing of land rights documents in Pak Chong.

The authorities are now looking into several encroachment cases in the district, and officials suspect that the group may have been involved in those cases as well.

-- 2015-04-30

[Oziex1]

So, the starting gun has been fired and the suspects are making a dash for it.