Nine people named in Khao Kradong land dispute petition
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Nine people named in Khao Kradong land dispute petition

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Activist Chuvit Kamolvisit last year pretends to eat a cake symbolisng a 5,083-rai plot of land in the Khao Kradong area of Buri Ram’s Muang district. (File photo: Somchai Poomlard)
Activist Chuvit Kamolvisit last year pretends to eat a cake symbolisng a 5,083-rai plot of land in the Khao Kradong area of Buri Ram’s Muang district. (File photo: Somchai Poomlard)

A petition has been submitted to the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases against nine people involved in Khao Kradong's land ownership dispute.

They include Interior permanent secretary Ansit Sampantarat and the Department of Land's (DoL) director-general Pornpoth Penpas.

Natthaporn Toprayoon, a former adviser to the Chief Ombudsman, submitted the petition on Thursday, citing his rights as a citizen under Chapter 3 of the constitution.

The nine named are accused of negligence and ethical misconduct over failing to comply with the court's final ruling to revoke the Khao Kradong land rights document.

The disputed plots cover 5,083 rai in the Khao Kradong area in Muang district of Buri Ram province.

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has been seeking to reclaim the land, accusing the department of wrongfully issuing land papers to people who illegally occupied the land.

The Supreme Court recently ruled in favour of the SRT and ordered the DoL to work with the rail agency to examine the land boundaries. The first court session to hear testimony is on Dec 9.

Mr Natthaporn earlier said on social media the DoL's decision not to revoke the land paper was unacceptable.

Worse, he doubted if the case would reach the Constitutional Court, saying the court operates under the Upper House, which, in his opinion, is now working in favour of the government.

Meanwhile, a source said the DoL published a statement on Thursday insisting on the decision of its land committee not to revoke the titles for the land in dispute.

The committee was formed under Section 61 of the Land Code, consisting of local DoL offices and high-rank officers with a senior technician of the local office assigned as the committee's secretary-general.

The committee had probed the issuing of the title and the results were published on May 12 last year.

The DoL, however, insists the probe results are legal and the department has no authority to interfere with the committee's decision despite the court order.

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