At 10am today (Aug 22), Mr Sira filed a complaint to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief in Bangkok to consider The Peaks project as a special case, the DSI confirmed today.
The complaint was written by Cherdchai Wongsaeree as a representative of Karon local residents. The complaint alleges that Karon Mayor Tawee Thongcham neglected his duty by issuing a construction permit for project to the developer, Kata Beach Co Ltd.
The project is being built on land that the company claims rights to under land-use document NorSor 3 Kor No. 1863. To apply for a construction permit, a copy of land document must be presented to the local administrative office, in this case Mr Tawee’s Karon Municipality, Mr Cherdchai explained.
The company owner could not have presented the land document to Karon Municipality because NorSor 3 Kor No. 1863 was under the consideration of the Administrative Court to revoke, Mr cherdchai noted.
The Regional Administrative Court in Nakhon Sri Thammarat ruled in Aug 2017 that NorSor 3 Kor No. 1863 was invalid – and that land itself was protected forest land.
On Feb 19 this year, Karon Municipality issued the construction permit for the project, and on April 10, they also sent an official letter to the company to inform that they acknowledged about the legal process of NorSor 3 Kor No. 1863, Mr Cherdchai added.
“From the series of actions, it can be demonstrated that Koron Mayor Tawee Thongcham ignored his duty, which has negatively affected other people,” Mr Cherdchai said.
“The Karon Mayor being negligent in his duties caused the loss of protected forest area due to the project construction, which has caused damage to hotels and local residents’ houses in areas below (the project construction site) and nearby,” he added.
Maj Worranan Srilum of the DSI formally received the complaint.
“We will send officials related in upholding environment laws to examine the location of the project,” DSI Deputy Director-General Pol Lt Col Korrawat Panprapakorn confirmed this morning.
“To be considered a special case, we have to consider certain criteria, including that the case must have caused damage of more than B100 million, or involves more than 100 rai land, and so on,” he added.
“We have to examine the documents and information filed by MP Sira as a priority,” Col Korrawat noted.