Second land probe launched

PHUKET: A senior police officer from Bangkok arrived in Phuket today to head up a second investigation into land registration abuses. Pol Maj Gen Pansiri Prapawat, Deputy Commissioner for General Investigation, has been ordered by Deputy Prime Minister General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh to look into cases of encroachment onto government land in Phuket. Gen Pansiri said today, “I’ve come to Phuket to check on land registration abuses in general, but especially cases involving Chanote and Nor Sor 3 land deeds that are not correct or that have not been issued according to the correct procedure. “We have identified 22 parcels of land totaling hundreds of rai in various parts of Phuket that have papers which I believe were dishonestly issued. We are investigating these starting today.” He declined to give more details of the suspect plots, saying that he wants to complete his investigation first. “We must check with all the officers who signed the papers, including senior officials. This will show us what the truth is. We will also inspect the land. We will report our findings to the committee headed by Gen Chavalit,” he added. He also declined to say whether he would speak to the “owners” of illegally titled land, and ducked questions about the involvement of “influential people”. However, he said that the probe would not be limited to the 22 pieces of land already targeted. “We have many other pieces of land that must be checked, but this will take time.” A team of 30 officers began checking all of Phuket’s SorPorKor 4-01 land occupation papers yesterday. Gen Pansiri said that his team would not be involved in these investigations, though he would liaise with the team carrying out those checks, since both come under the same umbrella – the commission led by Gen Chavalit. The 25-strong team under Gen Pansiri will consist of senior Phuket-based government officials including Vice-Governor Niran Kalayanamit and the heads of the Treasury Department, the Harbor Master’s Office, the Phuket Provincial Land Office and the Phuket Agriculture Land Reform Office. Also on the team will be officers from the Forestry Department and the National Parks Department in Bangkok.