Trespassing charge hangs over Premchai

Construction boss linked to land abuse

LOEI: Construction mogul Premchai Karnasuta, the subject of a poaching probe, may face an additional charge of trespassing on a 258-rai plot near a vast tract of forest land his company has been accused of acquiring illegally in Phu Ruea district.

An inspection was carried out yesterday in the area.

Mr Premchai, the president of ItalianThai Development Plc, is suspected of poaching endangered wildlife at a protected sanctuary in Kanchanaburi.

He is also a board member at PCK International Co, which has been implicated in a forest encroachment case covering more than 6,000 rai near a popular resort.

“We inspected other areas in the vicinity of the disputed plot of 6,229 rai and found three additional plots that have been occupied without the [correct permits],” said Sombun Thirabanditkun, chief of forest protection at the Royal Forest Department.

His team, working in tandem with land officials, found some facilities had been built illegally and were being used on parts of the 258-rai plot.

One area was being used to house a l arge tank that supplies water to Rang Yen resort, he said. A power generator was also found as well as a pole attached to a phone-signalling device, Mr Sombun added.

Officials also discovered a road that is believed to have been built by PCK on another plot of land, and a macadamia plantation on the other.

Mr Sombun said people had been hired to stand guard at more than 10 “checkpoints” leading to the areas, but on the day of his inspection nobody was there.

“I’ve told officials to file a complaint with the police,” he said, insisting on a need to probe why the land was being used without permission.

According to an initial investigation, PCK came into conflict with the Land Department over a decade ago.

In 2003, the department withdrew all of the title deeds for over 6,000 rai the company had occupied after finding the area was part of a national park.

However, the firm managed to lease it back for agricultural purposes under a deal. When the contract expired, PCK obtained title deeds for 679 rai.

This raised doubts at the Royal Forest Department (RFD), which said the land was part of a protected forest.

It is now preparing charges against three PCK employees who co-signed the land rental contract with the department. The suspects also sit on the company’s board.

In another development, police have charged Mr Premchai for illegally possessing weapons, deputy national police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said yesterday.

The firearms include a self-assembled air rifle and a 9mm automatic handgun with a 420mm barrel, neither of which is allowed under Thai law, a source close to the investigation said earlier.

During a recent search of Mr Premchai’s house officers found a total of 43 guns suspected of being illegal.

Mr Premchai and his three subordinates were earlier charged with nine violations, including unauthorised hunting in the forest refuge.

They were found at a makeshift camping ground with weapons and the pelts of endangered animals including a rare black panther.

Wildlife officials have withdrawn the animal cruelty charge, Central Police Forensic Science Division chief Pol Maj Gen Thawatchai Mekprasoetsuk said.