NACC indicts two ex-MPs for ‘unlawfully holding land meant for poor’

The NACC has resolved to ask the Supreme Court’s

Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office to try Supachai Phoso, former deputy agriculture minister and a former Nakhon Phanom MP, and Suchart Pinyo, a former Nakhon Ratchasima MP, for allegedly holding land they were not eligible to own and for alleged breach of code of ethics for parliamentarians, NACC Office secretary-general Niwatchai Kasemmongkol said on Thursday.

Niwatchai said the NACC’s investigative panel found Suchart had allegedly committed breach of ethics by buying and holding 40 plots totalling 220 rai (35.2 hectares) of land allocated to landless farmers in the Dong Phathai forest area in Tha Uthane district of Nakhon Phanom province.

The denuded forest areas were allocated to landless farmers under the so-called "Nor Sor 2" land reservation documents.

According to Niwatchai, the NACC learned of the alleged unlawful land acquisition by Suchart when he declared his assets on January 22, 2008 after he won his Nakhon Phanom House seat and on June 3, 2009 after he was appointed a deputy agriculture minister. Suchart also declared his holding of the 40 plots, 220-rai land in the forest under "Nor Sor 2" documents again on May 25, 2019 after he won an election in Nakhon Phanom.

In the case of Supachai, Niwatchai said the NACC investigative panel found that he had bought the land in 1989 and 1990 although he was not qualified as a landless farmer to receive the land allocation and although the land allocated under the "Nor Sor 2" documents could not be owned unless inherited by family members.

Niwatchai said Supachai had planted rubber trees on the 40 plots, but after the unlawful land purchase was made public the Nakhon Phanom governor issued three orders to disqualify the land ownership -- on October 16, 2013, September 5, 2022 and September 22, 2022.

Niwatchai said the NACC resolved that although Supachai had issued two letters dated July 11, 2023 and July 12, 2023 giving up ownership, the actions could not atone for his mistakes.

The NACC decided that Supachai had broken the law by holding ownership of land he did not deserve and his action affected the national administration as well as the right of the poor and landless farmers who could have made their living on the land.

As a result, the NACC resolved to ask the Supreme Court to try him for breach of ethics as an MP.

In the case of Suchart, Niwatchai said the NACC learned of his alleged unlawful holding of state land from his assets declaration on May 25, 2019 after he was elected an MP.

In the assets statement, Suchart declared that his common law wife, Pornthip Thongsaengsuk, held 252 rai (40.32 hectares) of land, which did not have proper land ownership documents but they were held under the land tax document called "Por Bor Thor 5".

Suchart said in the asset statement that Pornthip held two rai of land in tambon Udomsup, Wang Nam Khiew district in Nakhon Ratchasima province since April 1, 2011, and 250 rai of land in tambon Wang Nam Kiew of Wang Nam Khiew district since February 15, 2011.

Niwatchai said it was found that the land held by Suchart’s wife was a part of the Wang Nam Khiew forests and Pornthip was not among those entitled to make a living from the land by paying the land tax.

The NACC also found that Pornthip was not an underprivileged person or a landless farmer. She had shares in several firms and owned several cars as well as several other plots of land.

The NACC found that Suchart continued to hold the land after his election despite the fact that he and his wife were not farmers.

The NACC resolved that Suchart had committed a breach of ethics as an MP by violating the law to affect the management of natural resources and causing damage to natural resources.

As a result, the NACC resolved to send his case to be tried by the Supreme Court.