Thai Police say no high-level politicians found involved in rice mortgage graft yet

[webfact]

Police say no high-level politicians found involved in rice mortgage graft yet

BANGKOK, 30 May 2014 (NNT) – The police asserted that at least 10 instances of irregular practice have been detected in the rice mortgage program, whereas the number of complaints registered against such irregularities stood at 250.

Police General Ek Angsananon, deputy commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, met with Finance Ministry Inspector Kunrit Sombatsiri on Thursday to discuss progress of investigation into reports of graft in the rice pledging scheme.

He said afterwards that based on current information, there were 10 cases that were under investigation by officials, and that all of the cases involved counterfeiting of rice mortgage documents – primarily the warehouse receipts.

According to Pol. Gen. Ek, so far no high-level politicians or civil servant have been found to be involved with the irregularities.


-- NNT 2014-05-30

[Piichai]

Thank goodness the NACC is also looking into things!

[uty6543]

"According to Pol. Gen. Ek, so far no high-level politicians or civil servant have been found to be involved with the irregularities"

Not yet but there will be.

[Zooheekock]

Police say no high-level politicians found involved in rice mortgage graft yet...

....guilty verdicts expected by midday.

[GoodThaiGirl]

Police say no high-level politicians found involved in rice mortgage graft yet...

....guilty verdicts expected by midday.

explain to me please..

[djjamie]

Not surprising as this investigation is more focusing on the "nuts and bolts" of the scam. The thing is not to prove that they were involved, but more that they were aware of it.

I wonder what Supa has to say about this though?

Oh that's right she won't dribble information out as the investigation by the NACC is progressing. The NACC will wait until it has fully completed its investigation and present its findings.

That is the one I am looking forward to.

[sweatalot]

Hardly to believe

but wait and see

[Zooheekock]

explain to me please..

Since you're neither good, nor Thai, nor a girl, I think I'll pass, thanks.

[JesseFrank]

They seem to make big progress with 10 out of 250 cases looked at so far.

And don't we all know that the police never find any PTP politicians involved in anything illegal. Wait until the army conduct some investigations

[thumper101]

Not surprising as this investigation is more focusing on the "nuts and bolts" of the scam. The thing is not to prove that they were involved, but more that they were aware of it.

I wonder what Supa has to say about this though?

Oh that's right she won't dribble information out as the investigation by the NACC is progressing. The NACC will wait until it has fully completed its investigation and present its findings.

That is the one I am looking forward to.

I agree.

The key word being 'YET'.

The NACC are looking at the whole structure of money movement and where all of it has ended up.

The police findings have just added to the paper trail and unearthed previously unmentioned techniques of fraud.

The bigger picture is that claims were made at the highest government levels, and that includes Finance and Commerce ministers releasing statements of which will soon be proven lies.

The government have had the luxury of 7 months to hide stuff and destroy all incriminating evidence that points directly at the upper structures.

But rest assured that missing evidence (and there must be lots) will be just as guilt bearing as a smoking gun.

It is the money that can't be hidden or destroyed as it always leaves a paper trail and the majority of the missing cash will have been transferred electronically... you can't just carry hundreds of billions of baht around, and even if you could, the paper trail would stop at YOU.... All money is documented right up to it hitting a person's palm.

[northernjohn]

Thank goodness the NACC is also looking into things!

You got that rite.

Sounds like another couple of high ranking police need transferring to an inactive post.

[northernjohn]

Not surprising as this investigation is more focusing on the "nuts and bolts" of the scam. The thing is not to prove that they were involved, but more that they were aware of it.

I wonder what Supa has to say about this though?

Oh that's right she won't dribble information out as the investigation by the NACC is progressing. The NACC will wait until it has fully completed its investigation and present its findings.

That is the one I am looking forward to.

I hope the army is not going to be like the previous government and give a couple of days warning before they move in and arrest some one.

[Prbkk]

Many on here wouldn't bother about evidence , procedure, trial. Pronouncements of guilt already made, just move straight to the penalty phase. True proponents of fairness and real democracy.

[EyesWideOpen]

Why in the world would the police be investigating the rice scam? They seem to be better

at running criminal enterprises rather than investigating them......
Bring in some outside people.....

[rubl]

explain to me please..

Since you're neither good, nor Thai, nor a girl, I think I'll pass, thanks.

"....guilty verdicts expected by midday."

Would you accept a polite request from a Dutch uncle?

[Fat Haggis]

I wouldn't be jumping up and down for joy too much, as the whole world said the same thing about Iraq's WMD's and to this day, there hasn't been any stockpile of any such weapons discovered or uncovered, and in that one you had all the big superpowers "Intelligence" agencies super confident and reeled off hundreds of accounts of where they were, and they were proven to be false

There's no doubt there's irregularities, maybe the NACC can come over to Iraq and find the WMD once they find all the "missing rice/money"

I also doubt that the Police would be "dragging their heels" here either so I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss their lack of efficiency as it's been evident this week that General Prayuth has been moving high ranking Policemen from various posts, you think he's going to NOT wish to have this particular case looked at by people he can trust to get the job done?

[Nickymaster]

Many on here wouldn't bother about evidence , procedure, trial. Pronouncements of guilt already made, just move straight to the penalty phase. True proponents of fairness and real democracy.

Many on here are eagerly waiting for the NACC to present their investigation. We prefer not to comment on comments from the police.

Stop making up stories Prbkk.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Nickymaster

[rubl]

Many on here wouldn't bother about evidence , procedure, trial. Pronouncements of guilt already made, just move straight to the penalty phase. True proponents of fairness and real democracy.

True. I just asked Zooheecock to explain his "....guilty verdicts expected by midday."

Mind you with the latest 'official' statement of 500 billion loss in the RPPS I really wonder if we just have a case of politicians in their 'idealistic democratic' mood have been badly misused by more down-to-earth middlemen.

I still think that Ms. Yingluck who said to just overseeing the policy, can be charged with criminal negligence.

[Nickymaster]

Many on here wouldn't bother about evidence , procedure, trial. Pronouncements of guilt already made, just move straight to the penalty phase. True proponents of fairness and real democracy.

True. I just asked Zooheecock to explain his "....guilty verdicts expected by midday."

Mind you with the latest 'official' statement of 500 billion loss in the RPPS I really wonder if we just have a case of politicians in their 'idealistic democratic' mood have been badly misused by more down-to-earth middlemen.

I still think that Ms. Yingluck who said to just overseeing the policy, can be charged with criminal negligence.

Of course Yingluck can be charged for negligence. Never attending meetings related to pledging rice and at the same time approve spending a trillion (with a possible 500,000,000,000 loss) is something very serious.

There are stories of rice being sold, to shady Chinese trading companies owned by Thai politicians, below world market price. I am very curious to see what the NACC has to say about this, if anything. Let's wait and see.

[chainarong]

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They seem to make big progress with 10 out of 250 cases looked at so far.

And don't we all know that the police never find any PTP politicians involved in anything illegal. Wait until the army conduct some investigations

Yes , I think I would pass on anything the Police had investigated , not having any confidence in their natural ability to find a rubbish bin , to investigate means to enquire ,to probe ,to solve, something that is out side the scope of most clowns in brown.

[Mosha]

The Prime Minister is the de facto chair of the Cabinet of Thailand. The appointment and removal of Ministers can only be made with their advice. As the leader of the government the Prime Minister is therefore ultimately responsible for the failings and performance of their Ministers and the government as a whole. So they don't need to be high level. Khun Yingluck, the buck stops with you.

[uty6543]

All money is documented right up to it hitting a person's palm.

I'm sorry to disagree with you but it is not hard to laundry money here in Thailand. For example fake passports gives you fake bank accounts and suddenly the paper trail is broken. Money put in other peoples names like maid and gardener don't work too well though.

[PREM-R]

The Prime Minister is the de facto chair of the Cabinet of Thailand. The appointment and removal of Ministers can only be made with their advice. As the leader of the government the Prime Minister is therefore ultimately responsible for the failings and performance of their Ministers and the government as a whole. So they don't need to be high level. Khun Yingluck, the buck stops with you.

You suggest that Khun Yingluck was all powerful yet when she decided to move a senior official from his post, she was judged to have acted ultra vires and removed from her post. Are you sure the buck stops with Yingluck or are you just guilty of wishful thinking?

[Roadman]

I wouldn't be jumping up and down for joy too much, as the whole world said the same thing about Iraq's WMD's and to this day, there hasn't been any stockpile of any such weapons discovered or uncovered, and in that one you had all the big superpowers "Intelligence" agencies super confident and reeled off hundreds of accounts of where they were, and they were proven to be false

There's no doubt there's irregularities, maybe the NACC can come over to Iraq and find the WMD once they find all the "missing rice/money"

I also doubt that the Police would be "dragging their heels" here either so I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss their lack of efficiency as it's been evident this week that General Prayuth has been moving high ranking Policemen from various posts, you think he's going to NOT wish to have this particular case looked at by people he can trust to get the job done?

Talking of Iraq .. What about The Great Australian Wheat Scam... AWB paid Huge kickbacks to Saddam Hussain .. This corruption scandal went all the way to the top of Australian politics ... That case started in 2005 and right until now no-one has been convicted ... That Australia for you... The most corrupt Western country in the whole <deleted> world... and I see Aussies on here complaining about PTP, Australia makes Thailand look like a novice in the corruption game... John Howard and Thaksin ... same Devil..

OH Boy.. this Kiwi grabs the Coke and Popcorn and settles back in the lazy boy awaiting the arrival of the Aussies...let the show begin...

[robblok]

I wouldn't be jumping up and down for joy too much, as the whole world said the same thing about Iraq's WMD's and to this day, there hasn't been any stockpile of any such weapons discovered or uncovered, and in that one you had all the big superpowers "Intelligence" agencies super confident and reeled off hundreds of accounts of where they were, and they were proven to be false

There's no doubt there's irregularities, maybe the NACC can come over to Iraq and find the WMD once they find all the "missing rice/money"

I also doubt that the Police would be "dragging their heels" here either so I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss their lack of efficiency as it's been evident this week that General Prayuth has been moving high ranking Policemen from various posts, you think he's going to NOT wish to have this particular case looked at by people he can trust to get the job done?

Lets put it this way, this is not what the police is for in general. This is a job for the NACC. We will see, but you are right that the general probably has some good police on the job.

Anyway we will see about the NACC and their investigation and of course this investigation is far from over.

But I would wager with you that politicians will be caught for corruption on this scheme.

[robblok]

The Prime Minister is the de facto chair of the Cabinet of Thailand. The appointment and removal of Ministers can only be made with their advice. As the leader of the government the Prime Minister is therefore ultimately responsible for the failings and performance of their Ministers and the government as a whole. So they don't need to be high level. Khun Yingluck, the buck stops with you.

You suggest that Khun Yingluck was all powerful yet when she decided to move a senior official from his post, she was judged to have acted ultra vires and removed from her post. Are you sure the buck stops with Yingluck or are you just guilty of wishful thinking?

The buck should stop with Yingluck.. however she has a boss but he can't be held accountable as he is already on the run from the law.

[smedly]

so if there was no irregularity in the rice scheme what caused the loss of hundreds of billions ?

Is it possible to make stupidity a capital crime in Thailand

[billd766]

Many on here wouldn't bother about evidence , procedure, trial. Pronouncements of guilt already made, just move straight to the penalty phase. True proponents of fairness and real democracy.

Jus like the Red Shirts believe and know that Abhisit and Suthep are guilty of murder back in 2010 and they haven't even got to the trial stage yet.

[Thai at Heart]

So 250 cases of what value?

1mn per receipt?

If so...250 mm out of how much? I hope they have more than this to hang her with.

[Zooheekock]

True. I just asked Zooheecock to explain his "....guilty verdicts expected by midday."

It's a joke. The judicial system is so politicized and so absurdly one-sided that when it comes to the 'crimes' of Peua Thai, a lack of evidence is absolutely no obstacle to a guilty verdict.