Mine boss reports over encroachment

Mine boss reports over encroachment

Akara general manager Choetsak Attha-arun, left, is at the Department of Special Investigation in Bangkok on Monday. (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)
Akara general manager Choetsak Attha-arun, left, is at the Department of Special Investigation in Bangkok on Monday. (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)

An Akara Resources Plc executive on Tuesday reported to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) over charges against his company of forest and highway encroachment in Phichit and Phetchabun.

Akara general manager Choetsak Attha-arun, who met the DSI's chief for marine and coastal crime, Phichet Thongsinun, said that his firm has complied with the law but he wanted to know what new allegations the DSI would bring against the company.

An initial probe found the company's gold mine encroached on parts of a forest and highways in tambon Khao Chet Luk in Phichit's Thap Khlo district and tambon Thai Dong in Wang Pong district of Phetchabun.

The DSI also accused the company of issuing a land rights document for part of a forest.

Speaking before reporting to the DSI, Mr Choetsak said his company is "not worried over any complaints because we're confident we do everything legally".

The company, a subsidiary of Sydney-based Kingsgate, last month refused to accept a study that found toxic leaks from a tailings storage facility in Phichit.

The result was unveiled by a panel set up to probe residents' complaints about wastewater leaking into their paddy fields.

Akara questioned the methods used by the study team made up of researchers from Naresuan University and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan.

The company was previously dragged into trouble when health officials said in 2015 they found excessive manganese and arsenic contamination in water samples collected near mine tailing sites.

According to the Central Institute of Forensic Science and Rangsit University which jointly examined samples from residents in the vicinity, more than half had unusually high levels of arsenic and manganese in their blood.

After repeated conflicts between mine operators and locals, the National Council for Peace and Order decided in 2016 to exercise Section 44 to suspend operations of all gold mines nationwide.

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