Seri Ruam Thai Party Leader Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves said he had been summoned to Buri Ram Provincial Court after Newin Chidchob sued him over the Khao Kradong land dispute.
Pol Gen Sereepisuth said on Facebook on Monday that Mr Newin, a Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) backer, had accused him of defamation by publication and making a false report. The first hearing is scheduled for Aug 17. He said he intended to contest those allegations before the court.
The lawsuit followed Pol Gen Sereepisuth's visit to Buri Ram last month to investigate the land dispute, which he alleged involved Mr Newin and his family.
Pol Gen Sereepisuth had asked whether Mr Newin would return 5,083 rai at Khao Kradong to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), which the court had ruled was the rightful owner.
According to the complaint, Pol Gen Sereepisuth gave media interviews and filed a police complaint concerning land occupied by Mr Newin and his family.
The plaintiff alleged that his statements were false and had damaged Mr Newin's reputation, and asked the court to prosecute him for defamation by publication and making a false report to authorities.
Pol Gen Sereepisuth said he would use the proceedings to establish the facts and seek judicial scrutiny of the disputed land and related development approvals.
He plans to ask the court to summon land-title documents belonging to Mr Newin, his family and related companies to examine ownership and permits for buildings, a football stadium and a racing circuit.
He also wants the court to examine alleged road closures, the filling of public canals and whether the work was legally authorised.
The former national police chief said he already had aerial photographs and other supporting evidence and would continue to pursue the land-ownership issue regardless of the lawsuit.
He said that being sued would give him an opportunity to present all the evidence to the court for further examination.
Pol Gen Sereepisuth also referred to a 1995 incident in which he said he arrested campaign workers allegedly linked to Mr Newin and seized 11.4 million baht in cash. He said the case later led to convictions.
