The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has charged 33 people, including a former director of the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the CEO of Land and Houses, with corruption over the Park Ville Rom Klao project.
Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, NACC secretary-general, said on Thursday the NACC had found grounds that former NHA director Kritsada Raksakul, Land and Houses CEO Anant Asavabhokhin and dozens of NHA officials committed malfeasance in office and corruption in the purchase of land for the Romklao Community Housing and Community Services Project.
He said an investigation showed that the now-defunct National Council for Peace and Order, which was acting as the cabinet on Aug 26, 2014, approved an investment plan for several projects, including Park Ville Rom Klao.
Later, a handful of villagers and land brokers applied to purchase 1,040 square metres of land in the project to use as an entrance to another housing project, he said.
“A panel meeting agreed to sell the land for 28 million baht without proper review. Despite irregularities, the former NHA director allowed the purchase,” he said.
“Afterwards, villagers sold the land to a representative of Land and House, but the 28 million baht was given to the NHA instead of to the villagers.”
Mr Niwatchai said the 33 failed to comply with NHA regulations.
Mr Anant is suspected of helping officials violate the Act on the Offences Committed by Officials of State Organisations or Agencies, Mr Niwatchai said.
The NACC will submit case dossiers of everyone involved to the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) for court proceedings, he said.
Anant: Allegedly aided unlawful acts
Mr Niwatchai also said the NACC has found that Suchart Techajaksema, former board chairman of Public Warehouse Organization (PWO), and his associates may have been involved in corruption in procuring 500 million boxes of rubber gloves worth 112 billion baht from Guardian Gloves Co in 2020.
At the time, Mr Suchart and acting PWO director Pol Col Rungroj Puttiyaphiwat worked with a private firm to claim that a US company wanted to buy PWO gloves at a high price, he said.