Suthep seeks court's scrutiny of Chalerm

He said Chalerm would as a result become the first minister in Samak Sundaravej's Cabinet to be impeached.

Some 1,338 rai of Suthep's land was revoked by the caretaker director-general of the Land Department, Booncherd Kidhaen, on Monday. The department insists the area was public land and that Suthep had attained it by illegal means.

Suthep said he would sue Booncherd for allegedly acting against the law by following orders he believed were masterminded by Chalerm.

"I didn't finish a doctorate in law ... but that doesn't mean he can slander members of the opposition party without consideration for the violation of others' rights," Suthep said.

The veteran politician claimed the land had proper title deeds from 20 years prior to his purchase in 2004, and insisted the court in Surat Thani province had made a preliminary ruling that it was not public property.

Suthep, who is widely known to be no friend of Chalerm and has often engaged in heated verbal exchanges with him through the media, said he would not be too harsh on Booncherd in the lawsuit against him.

"I won't demand much compensation because he didn't mean to do much damage. But it will serve as a reminder to bureaucrats not to blindly serve politicians. And it will be an example to people not to fear if what they did is honest. Bureaucrats can't abuse people because the law will protect

them."