Official key suspect in encroachment

Located in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Pak Chong is a popular tourist destination.
An informed source yesterday revealed that Porntawee Sutantirat came under suspicion after she was found to have expanded the space covered by her husband’s land-rights documents allegedly through illegitimate means.
“The land-rights documents held by her husband covered just 30 rai in Pak Chong in the beginning. But after they were turned into land-title deeds, the size of the land covered 155 rai – apparently encroaching about 130 rai of agricultural-reform land,” the source alleged.
Evidence suggested her husband then divided the land into subplots and sold them to unsuspecting customers at about Bt10 million per rai.
A report said the Justice Ministry’s deputy permanent secretary Dusadee Arawuit had already looked into the probe against Porntawee.
“The probe suggested that as many as nine officials might have been involved in the illegitimate issuing of Pak Chong-based land-rights documents,” the same source said.
Authorities are now investigating many alleged encroachment cases in the district, and suspect that the alleged gang may have been linked to those cases also.
Dusadee led a team to inspect Kirimaya Resort yesterday after it was accused of land encroachment.
Arat Sawatatat, an executive of the Kirimaya Project, was at the site and produced land-rights documents that he said the firm had acquired through an auction held by the Legal Execution Department, and a sale by the government-established Bangkok Commercial Asset Management.
“We have never bought land-rights documents or possessory rights from locals,” Arat said.
His firm hoped the authorities would act justly.
“If these land-rights documents are found to have been issued illegitimately, our legal team will take action against those involved,” Arat said.
Dusadee said officials would examine all related documents in a bid to determine whether Kirimaya Resort engaged in land encroachment.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Tambon Moosee Administrative Organisation, Somkiat Payakkul, has dismissed any suggestion the property of TV news host Sorrayuth Suthassachinda in Pak Chong encroached on a public waterway.
“His property does not involve any such encroachment,” he said.
In response to an allegation that the public waterway adjacent to Sorrayuth’s plot of land in Pak Chong had been modified, Somkiat said it remained unclear at this point who had constructed a dyke.
The plot is a part of the Moon Dance Project.