PHUKET: Former Phuket Vice Governor Niwit Aroonrat was named yesterday as the ex-vice governor under investigation in a top-level anti-corruption inquiry on Phuket.
His name was made public at a meeting on Phuket of the Senate Standing Committee on Corruption.
Senate Committee chief General Wiroj Paoinn ordered work halted immediately on a 3.9 million baht road-building project that would have constructed a road to the Patong hillside property claimed by former Vice Governor Niwit, who retired last year.
The road extends off Prabaramee Road, the main road leading into and out of Patong, the hub for Phuket's west coast tourism. Legitimate land in such a location would be worth 400 million baht or more.
The road-building project, across steep terrain, had been approved by the Patong Municipal Council, the committee was told.
Former Vic Governor Niwit had legitimate claims to two hillside leases on public forest land, the committee heard yesterday, one of seven rai, and another of 10 rai.
But the former chief of the Phuket Land Titles office had signed off on 54 rai as the area for the seven rai title, and 47 rai for the 10 rai title, the committee heard yesterday.
Before his retirement, Vice Governor Niwit represented Phuket at the rolling series of meetings with senior officers in the Interior Ministry in structuring committees to look at making Phuket safer for tourists and resovling some of Phuket's chronic problems.
Making a tour of the suspicious road and the hillside land above Patong yesterday with Senate committee members were Democrat Phuket MP Rewat Areerob and Pheu Thai Party spokesman Phrompong Nopparit.
Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak was with them.
More revelations are expected as the Senate committee and other investigations proceed into suspicious hillside property acquisitions in Patong and Kamala and seaside properties at Freedom beach, south of Patong, and Rawai, in southern Phuket.
Already under suspicion is property on Phuket claimed by the daughter of a former Interior Minister.
His name was made public at a meeting on Phuket of the Senate Standing Committee on Corruption.
Senate Committee chief General Wiroj Paoinn ordered work halted immediately on a 3.9 million baht road-building project that would have constructed a road to the Patong hillside property claimed by former Vice Governor Niwit, who retired last year.
The road extends off Prabaramee Road, the main road leading into and out of Patong, the hub for Phuket's west coast tourism. Legitimate land in such a location would be worth 400 million baht or more.
The road-building project, across steep terrain, had been approved by the Patong Municipal Council, the committee was told.
Former Vic Governor Niwit had legitimate claims to two hillside leases on public forest land, the committee heard yesterday, one of seven rai, and another of 10 rai.
But the former chief of the Phuket Land Titles office had signed off on 54 rai as the area for the seven rai title, and 47 rai for the 10 rai title, the committee heard yesterday.
Before his retirement, Vice Governor Niwit represented Phuket at the rolling series of meetings with senior officers in the Interior Ministry in structuring committees to look at making Phuket safer for tourists and resovling some of Phuket's chronic problems.
Making a tour of the suspicious road and the hillside land above Patong yesterday with Senate committee members were Democrat Phuket MP Rewat Areerob and Pheu Thai Party spokesman Phrompong Nopparit.
Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak was with them.
More revelations are expected as the Senate committee and other investigations proceed into suspicious hillside property acquisitions in Patong and Kamala and seaside properties at Freedom beach, south of Patong, and Rawai, in southern Phuket.
Already under suspicion is property on Phuket claimed by the daughter of a former Interior Minister.
If the suspects are found guilty, I wonder if they would be sent to Phuket Prison, or use some kind of work-around meaning they never set 1 minute in a prison, which seems to be common among the wealthy.
Let's hope Justice prevails
Posted by Tbs on March 17, 2012 09:34