The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) is considering taking legal action against a group of land reform officials for allegedly causing damage to the state over a controversy involving a seminar held for Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) MPs.
The seminar was held at the 88 Garmonte resort in Nakhon Ratchasima's Wang Nam Khieo district, which is facing legal action for encroaching on land in Thap Lan National Park.
Prawatsart Chanthep, chief of Thap Lan National Park, said the department has information which implicates a group of land reform officials based in Nakhon Ratchasima.
One official was found to have provided inaccurate information to prosecutors and another allegedly signed a document verifying the 88 Garmonte resort was part of the Sor Por Kor land reform programme. Meanwhile, two other officials reportedly signed a land survey map which is not an official land ownership document.
The land reform officials will also face a charge of malfeasance in office under Section 157 of the Criminal Code, he added.
The DNP's move follows the fresh transfer of four land reform officials based in Nakhon Ratchasima to inactive posts at the Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro) in the wake of the 88 Garmonte resort controversy.
However, Mr Prawatsart refused to discuss the transfer, saying that it was part of Alro's internal affairs.
He added that the management of the Garmonte resort has until Oct 25 to demolish the structures which have been found to encroach on public land.
The resort is one of 11 properties in Wang Nam Khieo district that are being ordered to close for the infringement.
When the scandal broke, there was confusion as to whether the resort was located on Sor Por Kor land set aside for landless farmers or on a national park. However, the DNP insisted it never gave forest land to the provincial land reform office to be developed under Sor Por Kor.
The DNP had filed a complaint with Wang Nam Khieo police against the resort's management for forest encroachment. However, prosecutors decided not to indict the operators.
Meanwhile, Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Varawut Silpa-archa, said yesterday the ministry has nothing to do with the transfer of the four land reform officials. Alro is under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.