Fugitive land officials “in the South’

BANGKOK (Kom Chad Luek/The Nation): Pol Maj Gen Pansiri Prapawat, Deputy Commissioner for General Investigation, has revealed that police believe two fugitive former land officials are hiding somewhere in the South. The two wanted men are Bunchoo Limraksasin, formerly an officer in the Kathu District Land Office who was subsequently posted to Ubon Ratchathani, and Thawatchai Anukul, former chief registrar of the Phuket Provincial Land Office (PPLO). Pol Col Montri Yimyam, a superintendent with the Crime Suppression Division, said that he has 20 officers looking for Bunchoo and Thawatchai, focusing mainly on Phuket and Phang Nga. He added that he expects to arrest them by the end of the month. As for the land title investigation, Gen Pansiri explained that the PPLO is hurrying to compile all relevant documents and evidence relating to missing files and to identify the officers linked to those files. He added that he believes the missing documents were deliberately destroyed. “I believe that we will arrest those officers within the week,” Gen Pansiri said. “Once we do, the information they reveal will be useful to the police working on arresting high-ranking officials involved.” A source said some influential Phuket families may also have their SorPorKor 4-01 documents revoked. Meanwhile, the Agricultural Land Reform Department has asked Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchob to consider revoking their rights and the rights of some 150 other landowners. K. Newin has said that the names of people who should face criminal action for filing false papers to secure land reserved for the land reform scheme will be announced on July 25.