Court ex-chief questions about-turn on buildings
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Former Supreme Court president Sawat Chotipanich yesterday said there was evidence that senior officials at the Fine Arts Department, including a then deputy director-general, had agreed to the demolition of two buildings in the Supreme Court's compound b
He said the department’s move against the demolition had led to the court being viewed in a negative light. He urged the Fine Arts officials to study the details of the demolition first and respect the people who had made the previous agreement.
Fine Arts Department chief Sahawat Naenna said he had sent a letter to the Supreme Court president and the Office of the Judiciary secretary-general to seek their opinion on the call to stall the proposed demolition.
Rattanakosin Conservation Committee member Suvit Rasmibhuti said the court was told in many meetings with the department that the building should be conserved hence the court stalled this project for five years. Although a Cabinet resolution allowed the demolition, it required the court to submit the plan to the department first but the court did not do so.
