PHUKET: Police have been called on to prosecute five companies or individuals that, along with other properties bordering a Phuket national park, own two five-star Phuket resorts, Trisara and the Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithon Beach, a meeting heard today.
A statement issued at the meeting in Sirinath National Park said police had been asked to prosecute Three Dolphins (owners of Trisara) Pullman Phuket, Naithon Beach Ltd, Surachai Laosaicher and Chomchanok Sutamma.
The Three Dolphins case has been accepted for investigation by the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, with eight plots involving nor sor sam kor titles allegedly expanding to cover 136 rai.
The forwarding of dossiers to police by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry is the latest step in a drawn-out investigation over alleged encroachment of hundreds of rai of public parkland on Phuket.
Today's meeting also heard that eight other properties, reckoned by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to be illegal in parts, were deemed by the Land Titles Office to be legal. The Justice Ministry had been called in to resolve the dispute.
The eight properties involving 52 plots alleged to be illegal are: Peninsular Spa and Resort, Central and City Development (Centra Grand West Sand Resort & Villas Phuket), Landstate Co (Bang Tao Beach Resort) , Pavilion Beach Resort, Layan Phuket Limited (Bundarika Villas & Suites Phuket), Suchada Sangsuwan, La Colline Villa Development and ''Bernard's house'' (Bernard Gauthier).
In some cases, owners have protested their innocence. The investigators have said that any deception may be historical, with detectives being required to pinpoint how and when the alleged frauds were perpetrated and by whom.
A statement issued at the meeting in Sirinath National Park said police had been asked to prosecute Three Dolphins (owners of Trisara) Pullman Phuket, Naithon Beach Ltd, Surachai Laosaicher and Chomchanok Sutamma.
The Three Dolphins case has been accepted for investigation by the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, with eight plots involving nor sor sam kor titles allegedly expanding to cover 136 rai.
The forwarding of dossiers to police by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry is the latest step in a drawn-out investigation over alleged encroachment of hundreds of rai of public parkland on Phuket.
Today's meeting also heard that eight other properties, reckoned by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to be illegal in parts, were deemed by the Land Titles Office to be legal. The Justice Ministry had been called in to resolve the dispute.
The eight properties involving 52 plots alleged to be illegal are: Peninsular Spa and Resort, Central and City Development (Centra Grand West Sand Resort & Villas Phuket), Landstate Co (Bang Tao Beach Resort) , Pavilion Beach Resort, Layan Phuket Limited (Bundarika Villas & Suites Phuket), Suchada Sangsuwan, La Colline Villa Development and ''Bernard's house'' (Bernard Gauthier).
In some cases, owners have protested their innocence. The investigators have said that any deception may be historical, with detectives being required to pinpoint how and when the alleged frauds were perpetrated and by whom.
Both past and present officials have made fortunes by signing off on projects they know to be illegal. The question is will the current crackdown expose and prosecute these people or will the usual face-saving measures be applied?
We also must understand many official are put under enormous social and financial pressure to do favours for influential people. It's virtually impossible for them to refuse requests and keep their job.
A person who works in the Phuket land office once told me it was all but impossible to work honestly in the system. Refusing to play the game would lead you to being shunned by workmates or transferred to some backwater province.
Posted by Arun Muruga on August 30, 2014 13:34