Official cartographer gives conflicting testimony

A Land Department official who mapped out the combined 13 lots that were eventually auctioned off to Pojaman Shinawatra gave conflicting testimony to presiding judges at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division yesterday.

The hearing concerned whether the auction process had been rushed in order to benefit Pojaman and her husband, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Amorn Boontham, the Land Department's cartographer, told the nine presiding judges that he had seen a letter from whom he believed to be the Finance Ministry permanent secretary asking for the process to be speeded up.

"If I recall correctly, there was a letter from the Finance Ministry's permanent secretary. But we were happy to comply," he said.

The lawyer for the plaintiff then asked whether the matter had been processed faster than usual?

"I carried out my duty and devoted Saturday and Sunday [to completing it]," Amorn replied.

Suspicion that preferential treatment was given to speed up the auction of land on Ratchadaphisek Road owned by the state-controlled Financial Institutions Development Fund (FIDF) was raised when Amorn was cross-examined by a defence lawyer, who demanded that Amorn produce proof of the letter's existence. Amorn was unable to produce anything and was asked by the lawyer whether he was perhaps confused about the matter.

"Perhaps I was confused," Amorn replied, contradicting his testimony given just minutes before.

Amorn's credibility was further put to doubt when a judge asked him why there was a handwritten note by his supervisor reprimanding him regarding the task he had carried out.

Part of the note read: "I hope such a case will never occur again."

"It was more like a warning for me to be more active," Amorn told the judges. "I have been really exhausted [by the task] and worked

harder than would normally be expected."

Amorn's supervisor who wrote the note, Wuthisith Chanthasutr, told the court the note was meant to urge Amorn not to be late in finishing his work, and that there was nothing more to it.

Amorn also testified to the court that he had not been disciplined or received any complaints from outside.

Three other witnesses produced by the plaintiff insisted nothing unusual had occurred in the process of merging 13 plots of land into one in order to be auctioned off by the FIDF. No one except Amorn had raised doubts as to whether the process was rushed so the deal could be completed quickly.

The trial continues on Tuesday, marking a faster pace for the hearings, which were initially held only once a week.