Fresh Klong Dan warrants out

Bangkok Post 31 May 2018

Fresh warrants were issued Wednesday for the arrest of four people who failed to show up to hear the final ruling in a trial connected to the high-profile Klong Dan wastewater treatment case. One of the warrants was for fugitive politician Vatana Asavahame.

The Dusit District Court was scheduled to read the Supreme Court's ruling Wednesday, but this was postponed to July 13 after a defendant suffered serious health problems and could not attend the hearing. Wednesday's hearing was earlier postponed from March 7 this year after some of the 18 defendants in the case claimed they did not receive a court summons. As for the four who failed to show up Wednesday, the court believed they had fled and issued the warrants. They were identified as Royisaraporn Chutapa, Chalee Chutapa, Chayanat Osathanukroh and Vatana.

The case involves the sale of public land to the Pollution Control Department (PCD) at inflated prices and a breach of contract involving the Klong Dan wastewater treatment plant in Samut Prakan. Nineteen parties were indicted on fraud charges regarding the land sale and the alleged breach of contract, but the court threw out the contract lawsuit against the NVPSKG consortium, the project's concessionaire, during the preliminary hearing, leaving the number of defendants at 18. Most of them are company executives in the consortium. All pleaded not guilty.

According to the prosecution, the defendants illegally acquired a 1,900-rai coastal land plot in Samut Prakan and sold it to the state for the project at inflated prices. In November 2009 the Dusit District Court found them guilty and sentenced 11 of them including Vatana to three years in prison. The rest were fined 6,000 baht each. In 2013 the Appeal Court acquitted all 18, ruling there was no evidence the land was deliberately acquired for the project.

According to the ruling, the PCD was still undecided on the project's location. Vatana fled before the ruling was handed down and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He had been sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2008 for malfeasance and corruption concerning land purchases for the project.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/crime/1475985/fresh-klong-dan-warrants-out