Khao Kradong: Lands chief faces axe
Mr Phumtham, who is currently serving as the acting prime minister, on Monday provided an update on the Khao Kradong land dispute, which was under review with a seven-day deadline ending yesterday.
He revealed that he previously directed Department of Lands (DoL) director-general Pornpoth Penpas to investigate the case and submit a report back to him in seven days, with the report expected to be submitted by yesterday.
He noted that if the situation remains unclear and responsible agencies fail to resolve the issue, he will appoint a special committee to investigate Mr Pornpoth for potential negligence.
The minister also stated that Mr Pornpoth may be transferred to another agency, pending the findings in the report.
However, if there are sound reasons for the failure, Mr Pornpoth and the agencies are found to have fulfilled their legal duties, they will not face any consequences, said Mr Phumtham.
The dispute revolves around a 5,083-rai plot of land at Khao Kradong, which, according to the Supreme Court and the Administrative Court's rulings, belongs to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). However, the land is still controlled by a group of local politicians and has not been officially transferred back to the SRT.
Representatives from the "Andaman" group submitted a petition to Mr Phumtham on July 15, urging him to enforce the court rulings.
When asked how long the process would take, the minister declined to set a strict timeline but emphasised the need to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.
He also noted that the Interior Ministry's investigation could potentially revoke 99 land title deeds.
Suvich Sumanont, president of the Federation of Railway Workers Union, on Monday submitted a letter to Mr Phumtham, calling for the immediate revocation of land title deeds in the Khao Kradong area.
He argued that despite clear court rulings that the land belongs to the SRT, the DoL has yet to revoke the deeds.
He acknowledged the case stemmed from conflict between political parties, a reference to the ruling Pheu Thai Party and the now-opposition Bhumjaithai Party (BJT), while asserting that government agencies are legally obligated to comply with court rulings.
Meanwhile, Supachai Jaisamut, head of the BJT's legal team, took to Facebook to criticise Mr Phumtham's intervention in the case, which he said could constitute a violation of Section 157 of the Penal Code.
He also called on Mr Phumtham to think about over 1,000 residents who acquired the land legally, noting that these residents will be directly affected if their land deeds are revoked.
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