Former deputy education minister found guilty of forest encroachment, banned for 10 years from elections

The court found Kanokwan guilty as charged by the National Anti-Corruption Commission and ordered her to be removed from office with retrospective effect from August 26, 2022. Kanokwan had secured the Cabinet seat under the Bhumjaithai Party’s quota.

Kanokwan was not present to hear the court’s ruling against her.

The NACC had alleged that Kanokwan had committed severe ethical misconduct and filed a lawsuit against her with the Supreme Court. She was accused of violating Section 235 of the Constitution as well as Section 87 of the NACC Act and several sections of the act on ethics of holders of office of independent organisations.

In its lawsuit, the NACC alleged that Kanokwan had unlawfully obtained a deed for 30 rai (4.8 hectares) of land in Moo 15 in Tambon None Home of Prachin Buri’s Muang district and the plot encroached on the Khao Yai National Park and national forests on February 14, 2002.

Kanokwan claimed that she had bought the plot from Thiew Malison in 1990.

The lawsuit stated that an investigation by the NACC found that Thiew did not exist, so the issuance of a land deed for her was unlawful.

The Supreme Court accepted the lawsuit on August 26 last year and suspended Kanokwan from her post pending a ruling.

The trial began on October 5.