NACC's hasty move in rice scandal a sop to opposition: PM Yingluck

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POLITICS
NACC's hasty move in rice scandal a sop to opposition: PM
The Nation

Yingluck

BANGKOK: -- Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday hit back at the anti-graft agency, accusing it of rushing a decision to charge her with dereliction of duty in connection with the rice-pledging scheme.

She says the agency’s move was in line with a desire by "people who want to bring down the government".

"I reaffirm that I am innocent of the accusations made by the National Anti-Corruption Commission," Yingluck said on her Facebook page and added she was ready to prove that.

"Even though I am accused of criminal charges and face removal [from office], as per the wishes of people who want to overthrow the government, I am willing to cooperate to establish the facts."

She said she had always been committed to serving Thais with honesty, integrity and her utmost efforts.

"I shall therefore not let them down, particularly regarding my responsibility to protect the interests of the Thai people and uphold our democratic system with His Majesty the King as head of state." She said the NACC had confirmed she would be accorded full rights and treated fairly and transparently.

As chairwoman of the National Rice Policy Committee, Yingluck said she was responsible for policy-making, while implementation of the scheme was by government agencies under her policy directions.

"The bureaucratic system has its own standards and regulations, so my work at the policy level does not have the authority to directly operate, order or overrule the work of government officials in any way."

The execution of the projects were to be in line with Cabinet resolutions and based on government policy.

"I have always been aware that government work and private-sector work must be based on such principles and with a clear delegation of duties so that there is accountability in all issues and accountability in each procedure." She said accusations had been levelled against her even though she had not been involved at the operating level.

Yingluck said she had submitted two official petitions to the NACC on February 11 for the commission to replace Professor Vicha Mahakun with a new member. She had not been informed about the status of the request. However on Tuesday, the NACC announced the charges and informed her she would be summoned to hear them on February 27.

"This period seems very short for the NACC to investigate a political case. It has never happened before," she said.

Vicha, who is in charge of the case, declined to comment on Yingluck's statement, saying he would speak at a press conference later.

The prime minister also noted that a cabinet member in the last government was charged with many counts of corruption, including some related to that government's rice insurance scheme. However, there had been no judicial development in that particular case, while it had taken only 21 days to investigate and bring charges against her.

"I wish to prove once again that the scheme will definitely be beneficial to farmers...

"More important, if there were indeed true justice without any hidden agenda, the NACC would not have investigated in such a hurry and delivered a judgement in a manner that has allowed society to deem it as beneficial only to those who want to topple the government."


-- The Nation 2014-02-21

[dcutman]

"This period seems very short for the NACC to investigate a political case. It has never happened before," she said.

Has not the NACC has been investigating this for 2 years?

Edited February 20, 2014 by dcutman

[rucus7]

The buck stops where? Not with Yingluck.

[LadPhrao123]

Well said Prime Minister. Call these clown hand maidens to the PDRC and Dems, trying to bring down the government, for what they are.

[Robby nz]

Should that be on the jokes page ?

But anyway, 21 days ? I understood the Dems took the case to the NACC during or directly after the censure debate that was a bit more than 21 days ago.

A clear case of : Not my fault if they didn't do what I told them, besides I didn't go to the meetings so how could I have told them anything.

[Fryslan boppe]

"More important, if there were indeed true justice without any hidden agenda..."

According to the Electoral majority, there is none with respect to this NACC, plus the CC.

To say otherwise, is being blind to their historical record of politicized, one-sided decisions or simply parrotting PAD-Dem agenda.

Or at least that is what the UDD/RS's are telling me, and they make up the bulk of the electoral majority.

Given this NACC thing happening now in such a hurried fashion, and the inability of the anti-democratic coup mongers to achieve their goals, one is hard put to not connect the two and come up with a different conclusion than the Prime Minister. Unless of course, one is a PAD-Dem sympathizer.

That said, I note the headline speaks of a "rice scandal", when other's refer to it as an "Agricultural subsidy Program"....What is a scandal to some is a supportive program to others....Depending on which side of the political divide one comes from I guess....Have there been price support programs for rubber in the past, that were characterized as scandals?.....Just wondering.

Unfortunately these divergent views are not being hashed out in Parliament at the moment....Then voters could make up their own mind. For that reason, it will be interesting to see how the voters viewed this thing, when the current election is completed and tabulated.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Fryslan boppe

[NongKhaiKid]

Disgraceful, How dare they investigate ME !

[ikurauni]

<She said she had always been committed to serving Thais with honesty, integrity and her utmost efforts.>

Where is her integrity? Why did the farmers get screwed? Because of Suthep or someone else?

She did not do the job as PM. If she says she has integrity, she should admit her negligence instead of blaming someone else.

Yingluck has been the head of the government even she is a puppet. She has the ultimate responsibility for Thailand and Thai people.

But she keeps making jokes that she is innocent. No one buys this BS.

I thought she was a bit smarter than this. I am not sure if she really knows what she is talking about.

[GeorgeO]

If, as she states, she is going to prove that she is innocent of all charges, and that the scheme really is "beneficial to all farmers" (?), then what does it matter how long it took the NACC tro bring the charges.

That said, however, for her to suggest that the charges are the result of 21 days of deliberation is ridiculous. This failing scheme has been under close scrutiny for the past two years, and there have been many suggestions from respected individuals and institutions that the scheme should be scrapped; all of which she ignored.

So the time has come to explain why she felt it was prudent to ignore such sound advice.

[GeorgeO]

"More important, if there were indeed true justice without any hidden agenda..."

According to the Electoral majority, there is none with respect to this NACC, plus the CC.

To say otherwise, is being blind to their historical record of politicized, one-sided decisions or simply parrotting PAD-Dem agenda.

Or at least that is what the UDD/RS's are telling me, and they make up the bulk of the electoral majority.

Given this NACC thing happening now is such a hurried fashion, and the inability of the anti-democratic coup mongers to achieve their goals, one is hard put to come up with a different conclusion.

What you mean to say is that it's hard for you to come up with a different conclusion, and we can all see that, as you are clearly one of the most ardent of all the red short apologists.

[Thait Spot]

"More important, if there were indeed true justice without any hidden agenda..."

According to the Electoral majority, there is none with respect to this NACC, plus the CC.

To say otherwise, is being blind to their historical record of politicized, one-sided decisions or simply parrotting PAD-Dem agenda.

Or at least that is what the UDD/RS's are telling me, and they make up the bulk of the electoral majority.

Given this NACC thing happening now is such a hurried fashion, and the inability of the anti-democratic coup mongers to achieve their goals, one is hard put to come up with a different conclusion.

The UDD in no way makes up the majority. Even their leaders know that!

What is stopping the coup if they all want it?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[thesetat2013]

Since the farmers have been owed this money now for 7 months and the majority of what had been paid went to the north it is clear this was used as a political tool for the PTP. What i cant understand is the relevance of her submitting a petitiob 2 weeks ago to get rid of some proffesor? Was he supposed to be her escapegoat??

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[drand11]

Her statements are true. She does not administer the policies! This is all just politics.

[chainarong]

Madam Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, just do what every law abiding citizen has do , when summons to attend court , front up , everyone has an excuse , everyone has a story to tell , tell it to the judge, madam you are not above the law.

[Robby nz]

Can see it in court;

You are charged as chair of the rice policy committee with negligence and dereliction of duty how do you plead ?

Not guilty, its not my fault, how could it be, I never went to the meetings.

Guilty as charged.

[whybother]

"Even though I am accused of criminal charges and face removal [from office], as per the wishes of people who want to overthrow the government, I am willing to cooperate to establish the facts."

Haven't the government been asked for "the facts" for about two years now? Have the government provided any details of the costs of the program in that time?

[Ricardo]

I thought the caretaker-PM used to be in favour of anti-corruption, despite having had to regrettably cut the funding-budget for it, now she's on the receiving-end she's suddenly changed her mind ?

Perhaps some close adviser assured her, that it can be stalled in-the-courts forever, or solved with appropriate 'lunch-boxes' ?

And "I am willing to cooperate to establish the facts", just as long as you don't mind me failing to show-up when summoned, a common trait in Thai politics it appears ?

[Centrum]

Well said Prime Minister. Call these clown hand maidens to the PDRC and Dems, trying to bring down the government, for what they are.

Absolutely! Everyone knows in a real democracy criminals have at least 2 years to continue their crimes before charges are brought against them.

What a ridiculous state of affairs when a criminal investigation finds someone culpable and charges them before the statute of limitations has expired.

[Prbkk]

nothing unexpected here....just the clear and very obvious bias and allegiance of political appointees. The elite looking after the elite. Staus quo for the dark forces in Thai society

[promatrix]

" She said she had always been committed to serving Thais with honesty, integrity and her utmost efforts."

Thank you very much ... but please f--- off!

[GeorgeO]

nothing unexpected here....just the clear and very obvious bias and allegiance of political appointees. The elite looking after the elite. Staus quo for the dark forces in Thai society

...as compared to your obvious non-partisan paradigm...right?

[GeorgeO]

"She said she had always been committed to serving Thais".

well, now I guess she's going to have to be committed to serving TIME.

[icommunity]

The NACC charges against caretaker PM is illegal and unconstitutional. Its investigation not transparent for it involved peoples in conflict of interests. It did not give due justice process to the accused. The statements NACC made to the public during investigation were prejudicial and sub judice. It is politically motivated.

[djjamie]

What did yingluck say to deputy permanent secretary for finance Supa Piyajitti regarding the corruption in the rice-purchase scheme? "Show proof to back up your claims of corruption". Then she removed Supa from her position and investigated her. Not the rice scheme, but her!!!

Some call this an "Agricultural subsidy Program". I call it a scandal. This scandal has more holes in it than swiss cheese.

2.59 million of the poorest farmers don't make a baht off this scheme. They are not eligible.

Rice is rotting as per below pic from a warehouse in Phitsanulok. Rice is smuggled in from Myanmar to take advantage of the higher prices. The PTP budgeted 500 billion baht yet the scheme has cost 770 billion baht thus far with 400 billion suspected to be corruption associated. AND 130 billion still owed.

I will spell the next one out for the gullible. Is THailand going from 1st to 3rd rice exporter good or bad. Is Iraq, who is the 2nd biggest importer of Thai rice, telling Thailand yesterday that they will no longer purchase the rice due to quality issues a good or bad thing. Are farmers, that this scandal is supposed to help, protesting against the government good or bad?

I denounce the NACC for taking 21 days to investigate this. They should have been quicker. A bank robber is arrested quicker in Thailand and they only steal a few thousand baht. The shinawtra's have stolen billions. Some of it off the back of a coup no less.

I am glad I am not a tax payer in THailand seeing my tax dollars rotting away like the photo.

The UDD supporters are not only dangerous they are the most gullible people I have ever come across. Look at facts and dismiss them.

You could pick them out on the Titanic. They would be the ones that are neck deep in water and saying this ship that thaksin built is unsinkable. It is not sinking, the water level is rising!

Luckily the NACC as inept as it is for taking so long to bring this case against her will put her where she belongs. Dubai.

Edited February 21, 2014 by djjamie

[GentlemanJim]

I guess the arguments she uses to justify her sloping shoulders will be perfectly acceptable to be used by Abhisit and Suthep for the ridiculous murder charges then. "We just set policy and those further down the chain implement operational procedures, we have nothing to do with that'.

For a nation that hates to lose face, she is doing more damage to herself with this childish 'passing the buck' than could have been imagined.

[casualbiker]

Her statements are true. She does not administer the policies! This is all just politics.

Using your own words... if true.

Why are Abhisit and Suthep up on Murder charges.. you can't have it both ways.

The PM HAS to accept responsibility for her own and others in her governments actions especially as she had plenty of warning. She was PM and Chairperson of the rice pledging scheme!

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[casualbiker]

The NACC charges against caretaker PM is illegal and unconstitutional. Its investigation not transparent for it involved peoples in conflict of interests. It did not give due justice process to the accused. The statements NACC made to the public during investigation were prejudicial and sub judice. It is politically motivated.

Why is it " illegal and unconstitutional "?

The justice part comes now. It's up to Yingluck and the others to refute the evidence.

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[thailampang2012]

Really it is very bad that Thailand is not like the US, where the 2 parties work together in creating fantastic schemes and conspiracies to steal the people's money and buried the country in debt. Yingluck and Suthep together can bring this beautiful Asian country to an amazing destiny, a real Paradise for the elites, with peaceful slaves living and working on the rice fields, and elders with free housing and food in shelters. No more violence and revolutions in Thailand, a real Democracy!..... like the US.

[icommunity]

The NACC charges against caretaker PM is illegal and unconstitutional. Its investigation not transparent for it involved peoples in conflict of interests. It did not give due justice process to the accused. The statements NACC made to the public during investigation were prejudicial and sub judice. It is politically motivated.

Why is it " illegal and unconstitutional "?

The justice part comes now. It's up to Yingluck and the others to refute the evidence.

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Reasons in my post.

[whybother]

The NACC charges against caretaker PM is illegal and unconstitutional. Its investigation not transparent for it involved peoples in conflict of interests. It did not give due justice process to the accused. The statements NACC made to the public during investigation were prejudicial and sub judice. It is politically motivated.

What is illegal about the charges?

What is unconstitutional about the charges?

What are the conflicts of interest?

Why were the statements prejudicial?

What due justice process is required BEFORE there are any charges?

She is a politician. The case involves government policy. Of course you're going to use the excuse of "politically motivated".