Yongyuth jailed for two years over land development scandal

The court found Yongyuth guilty of violating Article 157 of the Criminal Code for abusing his authority as the then deputy permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry, when he revoked an order made by the Land Department in 2002.
It ruled that he revoked the order to help Alpine Real Estate Co Ltd and Golf and Sport Club Co Ltd unlawfully obtain the land.
Yongyuth’s eyes reddened when the court sentenced him to the two years in jail without suspending the sentence.
He has sought a release on bail pending his appeal of the sentence to the Appeals Court.
The case was filed against him by the National Anti-Corruption Commission in 2016.
The court ruled that it was clear that the original owner of the land, Nuam Chamnanchartsakda, made a will to donate the two plots to the Thammikaram Worawiharn Temple.
In her 1969 will, Nuam donated the plots - measuring 148 hectares in total – to the temple.
In 1990, Nuam’s heritage managers were forced out and replaced by the Mahamakut Buddhist University Foundation.
The court stated in its ruling that the foundation later transferred ownership of land from the temple to the foundation and later sold it to Alpine Real Estate and the Alpine Golf and Sports Club for Bt142 million.
The companies - owned by family and friends of the late veteran politician Snoh Thienthong, deputy interior minister in charge of the Land Department at that time - developed the land including the golf course.
The assets were later sold to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra with the help of former Thai Rak Thai executive Pongsak Ruktapongpisal.
On the same day that the land was sold, the two companies mortgaged the land for Bt220 million, the court said.
Later, the Land Department issued an order to revoke the transfer of the land to the companies on the grounds that the ownership transfer was illegal.
After 290 people appealed against the Land Department’s order, Yongyuth rescinded the order of the Land Department chief.
The court ruled that Nuam stated in her will that the land was to go to the temple and not the foundation. The court said the temple had already registered the land as monastic land and had let people lease the plots for rice farming, showing that the temple had obtained ownership of the land.
The court added that Nuam’s will took effect immediately after her death. As a result, the Land Department chief’s order to prohibit the transfer of monastic land to the companies was valid.
The court ruled that Yongyuth intended to omit that fact and to interpret the law in favor of the companies, so he abused his authority to cause damage to the temple and to Buddhism.