Heiress insists she paid for the land

Lawyer Nanthawat Phipatwong-kasem submitted evidence – including the cashier’s cheque used for the payment – to explain to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) yesterday on behalf of Alisa Asavabhokhin, the daughter of the Land and Houses chairman. 

Nanthawat said his client was not aware that Supachai was facing prosecution for fraud when she purchased the eight plots from him.

Pol Lt-Colonel Somboon Sarasit, director of the DSI’s Bureau of Special Crime Three, said the evidence proved that Alisa had already paid the money to Supachai. 

The parcels to be sold originally came in nine plots worth Bt298 million, but only eight were transferred because the ninth plot’s title deed was missing. The DSI found that the plots’ price was higher than the estimated price by Bt100 million, and more investigation was needed to see if it was related to money laundering, he said. “At the time, we couldn’t say we’d summon Alisa for testifying as we had to examine the existing evidence first,” he added.