NACC probe on PM Yingluck a big setback to image of govt: Teerachai

[webfact]

NACC probe on PM a big setback to image of govt: Teerachai
Erich Parpart,
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation


Theerachai

BANGKOK: -- The anti-graft agency's decision to investigate caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in connection with alleged irregularities in the rice-pledging scheme has tarnished the image of both her administration and the country, a former finance minister said yesterday.

Teerachai Phuwanartnaranubal said in an interview before entering a Bangkok business newspaper-sponsored seminar that the interim government and caretaker PM should reconsider the pledging scheme due to the financial losses incurred, the risk of corruption and overstocking.

"The charges against the caretaker prime minister have substantially destroyed her administration's image because the National Anti-Corruption Commission [NACC] has seen fit [to investigate] and is confident there is enough evidence to hold her responsible for the alleged irregularities," he said.

According to Teerachai, her government's expectations have backfired because it miscalculated the global price of rice, which did not increase as they had hoped. This has resulted in the administration now suffering losses, because they are unable to sell the rice at the price that they want, because it is higher than the international market price.

Other problems associated with the inability to sell rice under the pledging programme are those of corruption and overstocking, he added.

The ex-minister explained said that the alleged irregularities in the programme were connected to the sale of rice via government-to-government (G2G) contracts.

"The regulations concerning the selling of rice under a G2G deal and a domestic deal are different, which led to the forging of documents whereby rice contacts were made to look like they were a deal with a foreign government, but in reality the rice was being sold domestically," he said.

He suggested there should be reform of the regulations concerning government involvement in the selling of agricultural products, because it was a risky and costly business and if the government truly wanted to help farmers, it should give the money to them directly.

"The regulations concerning the selling of agricultural products need to be made stricter in order to deal with the issue of corruption," said Teerachai,

"In many countries, when they want to help their farmers, they give the money to them directly because the farmers can fully benefit from it that way. The shouldering of the price burden leads to the problem of overstocking, which is costly for the government," he added.

He also suggested that the best way to provide direct financial help to farmers was through government-established Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives accounts, and proposed that the amount paid to each farmer could be determined by how much they could produce.

The best way to export agricultural products is via government-regulated agencies only, and the best way to get paid for exported products is through the letter-of-credit system, he said.

Meanwhile, Foreign Trade Department director-general Surasak Riangkrul said the department would be writing to the NACC, seeking the agency's opinion on what it should now do in regard to rice-trading deals.

The department is also considering whether it needs to reshuffle some posts, as some of its high-level officials are allegedly involved in the "fake G2G deal" case.

Every action taken by the department would be in accordance with the law, he insisted.

Tikhumporn Natvaratat, the Foreign Trade Department's deputy director-general and one of the 15 officials allegedly involved in the fake G2G deal, said he needed time to clarify the NACC allegations and would discuss with the department's legal team what he should do next.

He has never had the chance to clarify the situation or explain himself with the NACC since it began looking into the case, he added.

Caretaker Commerce Minister Niwatthumrong Boonsongpaisan said that despite the NACC case, the government would proceed with the 2013/2014 rice-pledging scheme until the end of February, as scheduled.

He argued that it was government policy to do so, and could not therefore be cancelled.

He urged the Election Commission to urgently approve a Bt130-billion loan, so that the caretaker government had enough money to pay rice farmers under the pledging programme.

He also said the 15 people against whom the NACC was pressing charges should defend themselves.

Asked whether he knew about the questionable G2G rice deal, he said this was not the case as the matter had occurred before his arrival at the Commerce Ministry.

"The ministry will continue to release 200,000-300,000 tonnes of rice via general bidding soon, while it will sell 140,000 tonnes through the Agriculture Futures Exchange of Thailand on January 22," he insisted.


-- The Nation 2014-01-18

[GeorgeO]

"Caretaker Commerce Minister Niwatthumrong Boonsongpaisan said that despite the NACC case, the government would proceed with the 2013/2014 rice-pledging scheme until the end of February, as scheduled....He argued that it was government policy to do so, and could not therefore be cancelled".

What utter <deleted>. The same argument again from the current caretaker administration ... it's policy, so it can't be changed.

It has become so clear how ludicrous this policy is that the NACC now feels confident enough to place the caretaker PM under close scrutiny, and she is probably already packing a suitcase.

They should have the balls to see how ruinous this populist policy is, and recognise that it is emptying government coffers at an alarming pace ... although no doubt they're already well aware of where much of the money has gone...!!

[Tatsujin]

"The regulations concerning the selling of rice under a G2G deal and a domestic deal are different, which led to the forging of documents whereby rice contacts were made to look like they were a deal with a foreign government, but in reality the rice was being sold domestically," he said.

Forging of documents? Wow. Gonna be some heads rolling on this one, and little miss "I wasn't there, so I didn't know, so I'm not responsible" will be one of them.

[edwinchester]

'......if the govt truly wanted to help the farmers it should give the money directly to them.'

Sounds like the way the Democrats helped the rice farmers to me.

[Artisi]

Setback to the image of the (current) Thai government- is this something new?

[Roadman]

Yingluck is a sitting duck politically. Pity as if she had some balls to ditch Thaksin and actually govern to a democratic standard she would have been a worthy Prime Minister ...on Thai Soap Opera performance admittedly...but Thais lap that up. The Army should step in now and arrest the lot of them...politicians, Senior Police, Judiciary, All Senior Government agencies heads...those and others I would imprison in a camp, break the rules or fail to learn they will be evicted and someone else from their group replace them... and force lecture them on morals and manners for kindee, before they could progress to Democracy for Beginners....guest lecturers from top democratic countries.... invite the other Thai sectors like Education, business, universities, social groups, etc. to write a constitution and democracy that is agreed to by a minimum of one in favour..toss a coin in the event of a draw. Otherwise its just going to be like riding the merry go round.

[noikrit]

People receiving , Graft , Bribes and " Handouts" coulld't care less about a "Tarnished" Goverment ...... Sooo Many Fingers in the pie ......

[chadintheusa]

130 billion to pay farmers for overpriced rice that can't be sold? The money should be frozen until Feb 3 so that it can't be diverted during the election. The fact that the farmers have been waiting since September for payment shows where they sit in the PT party's list of priorities. Yingluck was probably glad to call an election so she could keep stringing them along instead of admitting that the whole program is an utter failure for the farmers and only benefits those on the take. Even if she wins the election the rice scam will ultimately get her thrown out and will result in a new Phamily Member (PM) for Thailand.

[NongKhaiKid]

I'm happy to be corrected but i think it was ' Mr. White lie ' who yesterday made noises about the scheme being above board and everything could be accounted for but he wasn't likely to say anything else.

I would suggest the 15 who have been charged are only the tip of the iceberg and just how many at the top are involved through subordinates and nominees ?

Unfortunately we have seen in the past how these genuine ' unseen hands ' remain unidentified or cannot be indicted for a whole range of reasons and live to plunder another day.

[EyesWideOpen]

Good , about time the NACC has come up to speed with a lot of TV posters ,who knew this

rice scheme was riddled with corruption, and Yingluck is in it up to her neck...

[ramrod711]

Meanwhile, Foreign Trade Department director-general Surasak Riangkrul said the department would be writing to the NACC, seeking the agency's opinion on what it should now do in regard to rice-trading deals.

The department is also considering whether it needs to reshuffle some posts, as some of its high-level officials are allegedly involved in the "fake G2G deal" case.

"Reshuffle", unelievable, not discharge or proceed with criminal charges. I think the protesters can go home soon, the government is going to fall over this, and there will be lots of beurocrats willing to give evidence to save themselves.

[scorecard]

"Caretaker Commerce Minister Niwatthumrong Boonsongpaisan said that despite the NACC case, the government would proceed with the 2013/2014 rice-pledging scheme until the end of February, as scheduled....He argued that it was government policy to do so, and could not therefore be cancelled".

What utter <deleted>. The same argument again from the current caretaker administration ... it's policy, so it can't be changed.

It has become so clear how ludicrous this policy is that the NACC now feels confident enough to place the caretaker PM under close scrutiny, and she is probably already packing a suitcase.

They should have the balls to see how ruinous this populist policy is, and recognise that it is emptying government coffers at an alarming pace ... although no doubt they're already well aware of where much of the money has gone...!!

"He argued that it was government policy to do so, and could not therefore be cancelled". This statement / approach when it suits.

On the opposite angle, they don't accept court rulings when you don't like them / they don't suit the pt overriding purpose.

I sincerely hope reform somehow pushes these scaly characters out of the picture and that coming very soon the public are wise enough to send these people to coventry, forever.

[EricBerg]

All bubbles burst at some point.

[JRSoul]

Yingluck is a sitting duck politically. Pity as if she had some balls to ditch Thaksin and actually govern to a democratic standard she would have been a worthy Prime Minister ...on Thai Soap Opera performance admittedly...but Thais lap that up. The Army should step in now and arrest the lot of them...politicians, Senior Police, Judiciary, All Senior Government agencies heads...those and others I would imprison in a camp, break the rules or fail to learn they will be evicted and someone else from their group replace them... and force lecture them on morals and manners for kindee, before they could progress to Democracy for Beginners....guest lecturers from top democratic countries.... invite the other Thai sectors like Education, business, universities, social groups, etc. to write a constitution and democracy that is agreed to by a minimum of one in favour..toss a coin in the event of a draw. Otherwise its just going to be like riding the merry go round.

"....she would have been a worthy Prime Minister ..." Somehow, I really doubt that statement.

[Evilbaz]

Segment by segment the Red Worm turns ...

[Bkungbank]

Miscalculate world rice price just like elite card for 1 Millions get life time benefits from tax payers money another miscalculate ..

[Ozymandias]

Yingluck is a sitting duck politically. Pity as if she had some balls to ditch Thaksin and actually govern to a democratic standard she would have been a worthy Prime Minister ...on Thai Soap Opera performance admittedly...but Thais lap that up. The Army should step in now and arrest the lot of them...politicians, Senior Police, Judiciary, All Senior Government agencies heads...those and others I would imprison in a camp, break the rules or fail to learn they will be evicted and someone else from their group replace them... and force lecture them on morals and manners for kindee, before they could progress to Democracy for Beginners....guest lecturers from top democratic countries.... invite the other Thai sectors like Education, business, universities, social groups, etc. to write a constitution and democracy that is agreed to by a minimum of one in favour..toss a coin in the event of a draw. Otherwise its just going to be like riding the merry go round.

You seem confused about the way democracy actually works yourself, so perhaps you need to invest in a copy of Democracy for Beginners yourself. To begin with, in a democratic society, one of the crucial checks and balances is that the army are under government control and accountable to it. And you seem to be confusing the army with the police force, as the army can only arrest those in their own ranks.

Dear me.

[MaxLee]

Sorry dear NACC, but you are 3 years too late, 'cause the man in Dubai has planned his next 10 steps ahead...

[ginjag]

Good , about time the NACC has come up to speed with a lot of TV posters ,who knew this

rice scheme was riddled with corruption, and Yingluck is in it up to her neck...

If you are in the top position of government and an accusation is made on this scale and you were innocent, SURELY you would come back with a mega broadside.

Problem number 1, the P.M. has not answered to this "suggestion" into a probe, WHY ??? First and foremost for the integrity of the ruling party, herself and the Thai nation.

If she was clean she would be on TV answering ANY questions thrown at her-after all she is the chairperson of this rice committee and would therefore be more than capable of doing this.

If you have much to hide you stay away from debate.

She is only saying things like if you want me out -vote me out, it's against the law for me to resign, I have to stay to take care of my people.. Sorry girl, you are not convincing me your up to it.

Forgetting Suthep---forgetting elections---- do you understand the damage done in 3 years, are you oblivious to it ???? caught up in your family power and still full of the thinking you are loved too much.

[thaigold]

130 billion to pay farmers for overpriced rice that can't be sold? The money should be frozen until Feb 3 so that it can't be diverted during the election. The fact that the farmers have been waiting since September for payment shows where they sit in the PT party's list of priorities. Yingluck was probably glad to call an election so she could keep stringing them along instead of admitting that the whole program is an utter failure for the farmers and only benefits those on the take. Even if she wins the election the rice scam will ultimately get her thrown out and will result in a new Phamily Member (PM) for Thailand.

I'd love to see a full expose' of the Bangkok Stonehenge, you know (Hopewell) , the stone pillars that run for miles out past Don Muang - Thailand was averaging one coup per year during the period leading up to the failure of the project.

Oh, and the acres of brand new fire engines and ambulances rotting away after billions spent.

[AleG]

'......if the govt truly wanted to help the farmers it should give the money directly to them.'

Sounds like the way the Democrats helped the rice farmers to me.

Nah, impossible. We have been told over and over again by Thaksin/PTP/Red Shirt apologist that the Democrats have never, ever done anything for the farmers.

They wouldn't be making things up, would they?

[bigbamboo]

From an international perspective the Thai government certainly has image problems now and not just because of the political chaos here. Previously it's Finance Minister was caught out blatantly lying to foreign governments and the financial markets in order to keep the people at home happy, a huge error of judgement from a naïve politician, and now we have another political ingénue, the Prime Minister herself, embroiled in a massive government organised economic scam that will further reduce her already scant credibility as a leader. And all this with the AEC just around the corner.

Worrying times indeed not just for the ruling party but for the whole country.

[poisonus]

The anti-graft agency's decision to investigate caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in connection with alleged irregularities in the rice-pledging scheme has tarnished the image of both her administration and the country, a former finance minister said yesterday.

This is nothing compared to the damage it will do when the investigations are concluded and the scale of the theft by Yingluck and her government is publicly exposed for all to see.

I would love it if they could end up tying most of these fake G2G deals and cash movements to a certain individual in Dubai, all at the same time the rice farmers are still waiting for their money.... I WOULD LOVE IT!!!!

[Baerboxer]

Jayboy says this is all part of a political conspiracy to oust the democratically elected PTP on another thread

Nothing to do with corruption really He must believe Khun Kittirat

The G2G scams with forged documents may not be all. What about the rumors of Cambodian rice being smuggled in and pledged, the discrepancies in inventories etc. Khun Kittirat stated that every baht spend had gone to the farmers. So he must have detailed accounts to prove that. So the investigators should open up all the books and find out what exactly has happened since PTP came to power. The money trail will make interesting reading.

Hope NACC don't get bought off, intimidated or lack the balls for this.

[poisonus]

He urged the Election Commission to urgently approve a Bt130-billion loan, so that the caretaker government had enough money to pay rice farmers under the pledging programme.

Erm.... heloooooo....... are you in there????

If you had not noticed, the rice scam is under investigation of massive fraud and corruption and you are asking for the EC to help you out by throwing another 130 BILLION baht into this fraud???...... Are you totally nuts?????

[Baerboxer]

Yingluck is a sitting duck politically. Pity as if she had some balls to ditch Thaksin and actually govern to a democratic standard she would have been a worthy Prime Minister ...on Thai Soap Opera performance admittedly...but Thais lap that up. The Army should step in now and arrest the lot of them...politicians, Senior Police, Judiciary, All Senior Government agencies heads...those and others I would imprison in a camp, break the rules or fail to learn they will be evicted and someone else from their group replace them... and force lecture them on morals and manners for kindee, before they could progress to Democracy for Beginners....guest lecturers from top democratic countries.... invite the other Thai sectors like Education, business, universities, social groups, etc. to write a constitution and democracy that is agreed to by a minimum of one in favour..toss a coin in the event of a draw. Otherwise its just going to be like riding the merry go round.

You seem confused about the way democracy actually works yourself, so perhaps you need to invest in a copy of Democracy for Beginners yourself. To begin with, in a democratic society, one of the crucial checks and balances is that the army are under government control and accountable to it. And you seem to be confusing the army with the police force, as the army can only arrest those in their own ranks.

Dear me.

Unless the PM at the time declares a state of emergency, which implements martial law.

Checks and balances usually work to stop government corruption. So let's see what the NACC find shall we.

[stoffel45]

Is that Shin Travel?

Yes? Could I have 28 one-way tickets to Dubai.........No - we'll pay cash.........Excess Baggage? Accompanying baggage about 11 tons - the rest to follow.

Can you do a first class configuration for 18 pax?

Fine go ahead - a messenger is coming round with the payment.....no not in rice ....in cash.

[Thaddeus]

Thaitanic meet Riceberg.

[siampolee]

Indeed it would seem as regards the dubious documentation surrounding the mystic G.2 G. rice deal that the department involved and indeed the government must have contacted via a seance the late Tom Keating and utilized his expertise in producing the undoubted works of art these document are proving to be. .

[Scamper]

With guns of all sorts making the headlines each day, very little is mentioned of the smoking gun. Here it is :

" The regulations concerning the selling of rice under a G2G deal and a domestic deal are different, which led to the forging of documents whereby rice contacts were made to look like they were a deal with a foreign government, but in reality the rice was being sold domestically," he said. "

That is what will eventually bring down the Yingluck administration. The export sale to China that never was - is really at the heart and centre of the Yingluck administration's policy of graft, never more ambitious or more brazen than with the rice scam. Among all the transgressions of the Nixon administration, what brought it down in the end was a third-rate burglary. With all the transgressions of the Yingluck administration, what will bring it down in the end is the criminal administration of rice.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Scamper