Ex-mayor’s jail sentence suspended in Koh Poda land encroachment case

[snoop1130]

Ex-mayor’s jail sentence suspended in Koh Poda land encroachment case

By The Nation

 

 

After more than three decades of court battles, the Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the three-and-a-half-year prison sentence given to Krabi business tycoon and former mayor Chuan Phukaoluan in the “historic” case of encroachment on a 22-rai land plot on scenic Koh Poda.

 

The court verdict however suspended Chuan's jail term for two years, imposed a one-year probation on him to report to an official periodically, and ordered him to perform 30 hours of social service.

 

The Supreme Court verdict came after the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) filed a lawsuit against Chuan for encroaching on the popular attraction island located in Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park. Chuan had insisted that the Sor Khor 1 land-right document, which he had, backed his ownership claim.

 

After arriving on Tuesday at the Krabi Provincial Court to hear the verdict and receiving flowers from his supporters, Chuan told reporters he had no worries and would accept the ruling no matter what.

 

The DNP’s dispute with Chuan dates back to 1985 and resulted in three lawsuits.

 

In the first case, Chuan sued the department for "encroaching" on the 50 rai of land on the island, which he had “legally owned for decades” and had built a resort there. That battle went through three courts until the Supreme Court ruled in the DNP’s favour, revoked the plot’s Nor Sor 3 Kor land documents and had Chuan and others vacate the property before the DNP demolished the structures there.

 

The second case was a civil lawsuit in which Chuan sought compensation from the department for demolishing his buildings.

 

In the third, the DNP filed a criminal lawsuit against Chuan for “encroaching on a 22-rai land plot”. The primary court ruled in Chuan’s favour, but the Appeals Court Region 8 reversed that ruling in 2018, handing the former mayor the three-and-a-half-year jail sentence because aerial photos didn’t show the land was in use during 1967 as claimed. Chuan consequently appealed to the Supreme Court, which on Tuesday upheld the sentence but suspended his jail term.

 

Koh Poda has 100 rai of flat land located near the “Unseen Thailand” attraction of Twin Seas – locally known as Tha-le Waek – and is just eight kilometres from Muang Krabi’s coast.

 

It is said that the value of the land plots on the island could be as high as Bt4 billion.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30376033

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-09-10

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[Boit]

"... suspended his jail term and ordered him to perform 30 hours of social service."  A big fat goose egg after 3 decades of court action.  At what cost?  Why not just make him Prime Minister? 

[BobBKK]

Can't be jailing a rich b******d now can we?

[Reigntax]

"Chuan told reporters he had no worries and would accept the ruling no matter what."

 

after 30 years through the courts apparently he doesn't accept rulings so well. One thinks this statement might suggest he already knew what was coming.

[WonnabeBiker]

Huh? Who else gets a jail sentence suspended for 2 years?!? Why not just say it as it appears to be: the rich and powerful perp gets a jail sentence changed to probation. Or am I missing something?

[TMNH]

And this is yet another indication of the distorted justice. For the life of me, I question "why" anyone would want to relocate here- unless of course one looks the other way:)

 

[TMNH]

To accept all of this (this being defined as "<deleted>?"), means one either has met a "partner" and/or simply accepts all of the ensuing <deleted>. Not to say that all are like that- simply that it's difficult to look the other way- if you know what I mean.Nonetheless- kudos to those relationships of expats and Thais that rise above all of this :)

 

[TMNH]

And to those that are successful, I hope both happiness  is evident. I wish good things for those who engage in their endeavors. None of my business...however,  wish the best within reason:)

 

[TMNH]

Which leads me to articles about the monks where they are accused of killing and essentially (How <deleted> this is) putting Tiger embryos in jars...essentially to their demise. And so.....these so-called "monks"- supposedly from a Buddhist upbringing- yet they themselves either abuse animals OR route "alms". And yet the Thai people are so naive to all of this. Corruption- period. God forbid a Tha have any semblance of thinking to question a corrupt Monk. So much for the Buddhism:)