The investigation followed Weera Somkhwamkit, Secretary General of the People’s Network Against Corruption, filing a formal request on Sept 25 to DSI Chief Pol Lt Col Korawat Panprapakorn for the DSI to investigate the resort’s claim to the land it sits on.
The request formally asked the DSI to accept the case as a special case and to prosecute relevant officers who issued unlawful ownership documents for breaches of the Forest Act, B.E. 2484 (1941) and the Land Title Deed Issuance Act (No. 6), B.E. 2479 (1936)
The team of DSI investigators was welcomed by the resort’s Engineering Manager Warangkul Kongkraphan, and other staff.
“We have already investigated all five phases of the resort and received very good cooperation from the resort staff,” explained Col Akarapol after the inspection.
“We used a drone to survey the area and questioned Mr Warangkul about the land from the past until now. Most importantly, the DSI is working straightforwardly and will be fair for both sides,” he added.
The DSI investigators have been given six months to conclude their investigation, Col Akarapol said.
“But I am sure that officers will finish and conclude this case earlier, in order to quickly deliver the truth to the public, as this case has gained a lot of attention,” he added.
Col Akarapol also revealed that the DSI investigation is looking into more than just the land ownership claims.
“We received a request to investigate two issues, including the land ownership of the resort and its construction, but we must look into issues beyond the request,” he said.
“We have to check five more specific issues, but we will release information about these issues later,” Col Akarapol said.
“The slope of land is one of the priorities that we are paying much attention to, but we cannot give any information at this time. The DSI have investigated many cases about land in Phuket, but this is the first time for Sripanwa resort.” he concluded.