The state prosecutor will file a court case against former deputy public health minister Sunthorn Wilawan and 11 other individuals implicated in a case of encroachment on Khao Yai National Park on Feb 28, Wirun Chanthananan, Director of Public Prosecution of the Office of the Attorney-General's (OAG) Special Litigation Office, said on Monday.
The 12 suspects were invited by the Department of Special Investigation's (DSI) Natural Resources and Environment Case Division on Jan 4 to hear the charges to be laid against them, as per Special Litigation Office order, Mr Wirun said.
A 13th suspect, however, passed away before he could hear the charges, which have now been suspended automatically, according to the law.
Mr Wirun said that all of the 12 remaining suspects had admitted guilt and an assessment of due damage payments is being carried out.
The state prosecutor also separately ordered the DSI to provide its own estimate of the financial losses incurred by the victims.
The DSI had sent a notification to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation on the cost estimation earlier.
As each suspect had a different damage cost estimation, he added the penalty for each suspect according to the Land Code, the Forest Act, and the National Park Act, he said.
The prosecutor had ordered the investigators to investigate further on some issues, and the process was wrapped up on Jan 10, Mr Wirun said.
However, the investigation results handed to the prosecutor have not yet been completed, which led to the warrant being postponed until next month.
A postponement is expected if the results are not completed by the intended date, added Mr Wirun.
A former deputy public health minister in the Chavalit Yongchaiyudh administration, Mr Sunthorn, and 12 other individuals were accused of illegal deed ownership on 22 land plots in Khao Yai National Park, located in Prachantakham district's tambon Po Ngam, which investigators said have caused at least 21 million baht in losses.
The DSI began its investigation on June 27, 2012.
After the Organic Act on Anti-Corruption was issued in 2018, the case was briefly taken over by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). However, it was then deemed necessary to have the NACC pursue its earlier work, and the DSI was put back in charge of the investigation in 2019.