Democrat Party deputy leader Alongkorn Pollabutr hands a letter to Colonel Piyawat Kingket, a spokesman for the Department of Special Investigation, seeking a probe into alleged irregularities involving timber sales from government eucalyptus plantations.

Alongkorn, who heads the party's anti-corruption working group, submitted documents he described as proof of his claim of foul play against an unnamed Cabinet member and two executives of the Forest Industry Organisation (FIO).

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat, who oversees the FIO, last week rejected Alongkorn's claim, saying the Democrat had been fooled by an unreliable informant.

Alongkorn claimed that millions of baht in kickbacks had been paid, with millions more pledged, in order to secure the right to fell eucalyptus trees covering 3,500 rai in the FIO's plantations in Mukdahan. The timber would sell for at least Bt2 billion on the market, he said yesterday.

The Democrat said he submitted copies of what he described as evidence received from those involved in the deal to the DSI chief yesterday. He called on the DSI to summon Yongyuth and the relevant senior FIO officials to be interrogated.

A spokesman for the DSI, who requested anonymity, said the DSI would determine whether the case was under its jurisdiction.