The response came after Mr Chalermpong raised the issue in Parliament on Wednesday (May 20), questioning why a former senior forestry official dismissed over the illegal issuance of land documents at Freedom Beach in Phuket had allegedly avoided criminal prosecution for more than a decade while continuing to receive a government pension.
In an open letter issued on Thursday (May 21), the RFD rejected claims that the former official was still receiving pension payments.
The department confirmed that two former officials, identified only as Mr A and Mr P, had been dismissed from service for their involvement in the illegal issuance of land title deeds linked to Freedom Beach in Phuket and Koh Kradan in Trang.
The RFD said the dismissals had been upheld by final judgments of the Supreme Administrative Court, while criminal proceedings were being handled by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
The department also denied reports that one of the former officials continued to receive a monthly pension, stating that civil servants dismissed for wrongdoing are not entitled to pension payments under the Civil Servant Pension Act.
In an online response, Mr Chalermpong thanked the RFD Director-General for issuing the clarification within one day of his parliamentary remarks.
“I reiterate my gratitude to the Director-General of the Forest Department for this transparent and straightforward explanation,” he posted.
However, he added that another former senior official was also implicated in the case.
“I would like to inform you that there is another former official, identified by the initials Mr. Wi…, who retired from his position as Deputy Director-General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, who is also involved in this case,” Mr Chalermpong wrote.
He noted that the retired official fell outside the authority of the RFD Director-General and called on the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and the ministry’s permanent secretary to clarify publicly whether the individual was still receiving a pension and provide an update on the criminal case.
In his original parliamentary remarks, Mr Chalermpong said the case involved allegations that aerial photographs had been falsified to support illegal land title issuance at Freedom Beach and Koh Kradan in Trang’s Hat Chao Mai National Park.
He also urged anti-corruption agencies, including the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, to accelerate investigations into the case.