PACC panel to probe illegal land grabbing
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The Public Sector AntiCorruption Commission is now delving into five major landgrabbing schemes involving officials and national politicians after setting up an investigating committee recently.
In a case where land was illegally acquired and sold to foreigners, a former public health minister from an unspecified political party was complicit, PACC secretarygeneral Dussadee Arayawuth said yesterday.
This case would likely be transferred to the National AntiCorruption Commission because the land officials assisting in the scheme have been promoted to grades beyond those targeted by PACC, he said.
Through intervention by politicians, onethird of all land, totalling more than several thousands of rai and worth more than Bt10 billion, are now illegally owned by foreigners through Thai nominees, he said.
There are other cases already under PACC’s jurisdiction and a few more awaiting approval for the PACC to take on.
In Phuket, two large plots have been illegally acquired through the forgery of title deeds. On one plot, many luxury homes are being built for sale to foreigners at Bt80 million each, while the other plot will be used to develop a Bt10billion beachfront hotel.
In the Nakhon Ratchasima section of Khao Yai, 22 plots covering 264 rai of restricted land worth about Bt400 million are now illegally in private hands.
In Loei’s Na Duang district, a vast tract of land belonging temporarily to villagers for farming is set to be sold through illegal acquisition procedures at lower prices.
In Chiang Mai’s Mae Rim National Park, 29 plots covering 76 rai and valued at about Bt200 million have been certified as transferable through the cooperation of corrupt land officials who reportedly redrew map boundaries to allow restricted land to be owned and included in transferable deeds.
In Saraburi, a team of government surveyors included an area in a part of a forest reserve that would be allotted to farmers for temporary farming, without reassigning it as Forest Department property under regulations.
There are five other cases awaiting PACC’s consideration while a search for more evidence is underway.
In Phuket, two plots covering 21 rai are earmarked for a hotel and in Kathu district land worth about Bt1.1 billion has been issued an ownership deed.
In Phang Nga’s Koh Yao district, public areas worth about Bt2 billion have been issued ownership deeds.
In Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district, 36 rai have not been classified according to their true status.
In Trang’s Si Kao district, police are suspected of corruption after failing to act on a complaint over document forgery lodged four years ago.
