Urgent: NACC sets up panel to investigate assets of Yingluck, former ministers related to rice scheme

BANGKOK: -- The National Anti-Corruption Commission Thursday set up a committee to investigate assets of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and former minister who were involved in the rice-pledging scheme.

-- The Nation 2014-06-05

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RICE-PLEDGING SCHEME

Yingluck faces assets probe

The Nation

Yingluck

Anti-graft agency also targets four former ministers involved in the rice-pledging scheme; junta orders nationwide check of rice stocks

BANGKOK: -- The national anti-graft agency yesterday resolved to examine the assets of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and four other members of her Cabinet involved in her government's loss-making and corruption-plagued rice price-pledging scheme.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has assigned one of its nine commissioners, Narong Rathamarit, to head the subcommittee responsible for the investigation, the agency said in a press release.

In addition to Yingluck, three of her commerce ministers, Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, Boonsong Teriyapirom and Yanyong Phuangrach, and her deputy commerce minister, Phum Saraphol, will also be targeted, according to the NACC.

In early May, the NACC unanimously resolved to indict Yingluck for allegedly having intent to exercise power against the Constitution concerning the rice scheme. She will face impeachment and a five-year ban from politics if the Senate agrees with the NACC.

The anti-graft agency is also investigating alleged criminal offence of dereliction of duty against Yingluck.

The panel's investigation may also cover people close to the five former government ministers if they are found to have connections with the rice scheme, according to Worawit Sukboon, deputy secretary general of the NACC.

He said that former members of the Yingluck Cabinet who vacated their positions on May 7 and May 22 had until yesterday and June 20 respectively to submit to the NACC their latest financial statements. He expected information about the former Cabinet members to be available publicly in early July.

Five former Cabinet members have yet to submit reports about their assets and debts to the NACC, according to Worawit.

They are Yingluck, former social development and human security minister Santi Promphat, former deputy prime minister and finance minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, and former deputy premiers Pracha Promnok and Plodprasop Suraswadi.

If they fail to meet the deadline, those ex-ministers need to explain why in writing to the NACC, which will then determine whether their arguments are reasonable or whether it is their intent to try and conceal their assets, according to Worawit.

In response to social media calls for the NACC to examine the assets of ruling junta members, Worawit said that existing laws did not require that, so the agency had no authority to do so.

Checks of rice stocks

Meanwhile, the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has assigned the regional Army area commands to prepare for large-scale checks of government rice stocks, according to a source attending yesterday's meeting of the NCPO that was chaired by its secretary general Udomdej Sitabut.

As soon as a committee charged with checking rice stocks is set up, the regional Army commands will check stocks at warehouses all over the country, the source said.

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry's permanent secretary Rangsan Sriworasat said that the post-audit committee chaired by Kulit Sombatsiri, the Ministry's deputy permanent secretary, would have to end its auditing role now that the military was in power.

Rangsan said the policy for the establishment of a new committee would need to be approved by the NCPO, though the ministry was responsible for finding funds for the rice-pledging scheme.

He also said that he had testified in the NACC's dereliction of duty case against Yingluck in relation to the rice-pledging scheme.

But he said he did not have much information regarding the case, as he was not directly responsible for the scheme.

Like other witnesses in the case, he was asked by the NACC not to speak to the media about the case.

In a related development, former Democrat MP Warong Dechgitvigrom urged the NCPO to end the controversial rice-pledging scheme, saying that it should be replaced with a rice-price guarantee.

Warong said the NCPO should apply a transitional measure by paying compensation to farmers for the cost of fertiliser and pesticide at the rate of between Bt1,000 to Bt2,000 per rai.

He pointed out that the pledging scheme was exposed to corruption at all levels and that it was better to drop the concept.

Warong, who exposed the alleged corruption in the scheme, said the NCPO should act urgently because farmers were waiting for help.

-- The Nation 2014-06-06

Excellent news,but they must also investigate family members and gardeners/maids as well.Could be very revealing.

When one of the inner circle bought a fleet of widebody jets, both my eyebrows raised. And I'm not even in the NACC!

NACC to probe into assets of ministers linked to rice-pledging scheme

BANGKOK, 5 June 2014 (NNT) – The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is setting up a sub-committee to probe into the assets of former ministers under the Yingluck Shinawatra Administration involved in the rice-pledging scheme.

The NACC said five former ministers under investigation included Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra, Mr. Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisal, Mr. Boonsong Teriyapirom, Mr. Yanyong Puangrat, and Mr. Phum Sarapol.

The sub-committee will inspect assets and liabilities of five ministers connected with the rice subsidy program where a large amount of rice reportedly went missing. Estimated losses from the previous five harvesting seasons under the scheme could also amount up to 500 billion baht.

The NACC earlier indicated that Ms. Yingluck was guilty on dereliction of duty in the rice pledging fraud and voted to bring impeachment proceedings against her.

-- NNT 2014-06-05

"The NACC said five former ministers under investigation included Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra, Mr. Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisal, Mr. Boonsong Teriyapirom, Mr. Yanyong Puangrat, and Mr. Phum Sarapol."

And where is Chalerm?

They should look into the 1 student 1 tablet scheme as well, see how much dirt will come up from that program

They should look into the 1 student 1 tablet scheme as well, see how much dirt will come up from that program

They probably will, but that scheme has cost about 5 - 6 billion in all. To investigate a scam which may have cost lost the country 500 billion (and probably even much more than that) seems to be a tat more important at the moment.

Mind you, with Ms. Yingluck and a few other's assets investigated, those people have a proper and fair opportunity to show they didn't enrich themselves or their close family, relatives, etc., etc.

Under the new laws for what can appear in the press.

Expect to hear some incredible numbers for how much money the guilty people have made.

Under the new laws for what can appear in the press.

Expect to hear some incredible numbers for how much money the guilty people have made.

PROBE into the assets, monies in and out ?? transactions made.???

Guilty ??? we do not know unless you have an idea something is wrong ??? and if anything is revealed it will be a fix in your eyes?? politically motivated against the elected party. amazing.

Under the new laws for what can appear in the press.

Expect to hear some incredible numbers for how much money the guilty people have made.

Pray tell, which new laws?

Let go of those negative waves, instead join me in rejoicing in the fair opportunity offered to people to exonerate themselves.

Under the new laws for what can appear in the press.

Expect to hear some incredible numbers for how much money the guilty people have made.

Pray tell, which new laws?

Let go of those negative waves, instead join me in rejoicing in the fair opportunity offered to people to exonerate themselves.

And when you hear those incredible numbers, get ready for some incredible excuses!!!

I'm surprised this wasn't part of the original investigations in the first place

From ZILLIONS and Billions to OOPS! Hooray if they actually go through the lot of them and make this a warning to all future despots

As I have said before , anything to do with any programme the PTP were involved with , not only the rice scheme, should be investigated

Under the new laws for what can appear in the press.

Expect to hear some incredible numbers for how much money the guilty people have made.

Pray tell, which new laws?

Let go of those negative waves, instead join me in rejoicing in the fair opportunity offered to people to exonerate themselves.

OMG!!! Dont you mean they failed to exonerate thenselves and now its up to a special comittie to investigate to see how much they stole

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

If she has done something wrong she should be punished. I don't have a problem with that. However, to spread lies: " a fleet of wide-bodied planes" adds nothing to the discussion but simply raises questions about the motives of the poster.

Maybe he was getting confused with the scheme to have four private planes for the use of the PM and her support team.

Anyone know what happened to Thaksin One by the way? I hope it didn't fall victim with the man with the can of black paint.

Time to pay the piper, dirty red trash scum looters

What about all those super rich army generals envolved in illigal arms trafficking ,wasnt there a big leader arested in Bangkok of the sri lanka tamil tigers a few years ago the guy even had Thai nationality and was a notorious gun runner and good friends apparantly with top noch Thai generals

What about the topic on hand? The investigation related to the rice scam which has lost the country 500 billion already with more to follow?

i dont believe most of the drivel written in the Thai press and specially on this crappy website should have been shut down a long time ago.

Why bother hanging in this site then?

You sound like a right Merchant.

What about all those super rich army generals envolved in illigal arms trafficking ,wasnt there a big leader arested in Bangkok of the sri lanka tamil tigers a few years ago the guy even had Thai nationality and was a notorious gun runner and good friends apparantly with top noch Thai generals

What about the topic on hand? The investigation related to the rice scam which has lost the country 500 billion already with more to follow?

i dont believe most of the drivel written in the Thai press and specially on this crappy website should have been shut down a long time ago.

Why bother hanging in this site then?

You sound like a right Merchant.

Cause i love reading al the crap reply's on topics such as this by the barstool Thailand experts who havent even got a bloody right to vote in said country bunch of laughs you silly little people are.

Under the new laws for what can appear in the press.

Expect to hear some incredible numbers for how much money the guilty people have made.

Pray tell, which new laws?

Let go of those negative waves, instead join me in rejoicing in the fair opportunity offered to people to exonerate themselves.

You know, that new law, the one PTP apologist just know exists so later on, looking back, they can say it was all politically motivated.

We dun nuffink wrong your honour.

Inflammatory posts and replies have been removed.

Extraordinary

Get the metal detectors out probably a few billion of gold buried in the gardens.

looks like her brother will be expecting some guests to hide in exile with him soon.

How can these people, assumed as innocent until the facts are on the table defend them selves in a dictatur state ? How can the people of Thailand be sure the justice is fulfilled ? TV censored, newspapers censored and the radio censored.

The military have a challenge here, how to convince the Thai people of anything when they are censoring the media ??? Good luck.

What about the topic on hand? The investigation related to the rice scam which has lost the country 500 billion already with more to follow?

i dont believe most of the drivel written in the Thai press and specially on this crappy website should have been shut down a long time ago.

Why bother hanging in this site then?

You sound like a right Merchant.

Cause i love reading al the crap reply's on topics such as this by the barstool Thailand experts who havent even got a bloody right to vote in said country bunch of laughs you silly little people are.

This is a forum which means it's a place to have a discussion about various subjects and a right to vote in Thailand isn't required. If we all had a vote we could express our views that way.

Your problem may be that you are only reading the posts that are written in English that is of a similar level to your own. I don't know if English is your first language but I suspect it is and it might improve if you took the time to read posts of a higher level. You might get a better response with a more reasoned approach.

As to your point about army generals I don't know the details but if they've been involved in anything they shouldn't then it's only right that they are held to account. The same can be said for anyone else who has done something they shouldn't. This is an ideal opportunity for General Prayuth to show he is unbiased.

That doesn't mean that the rice scheme and those involved shouldn't be investigated.

How can these people, assumed as innocent until the facts are on the table defend them selves in a dictatur state ? How can the people of Thailand be sure the justice is fulfilled ? TV censored, newspapers censored and the radio censored.

The military have a challenge here, how to convince the Thai people of anything when they are censoring the media ??? Good luck.

I would assume that they are just gathering evidence and if there are thought to be irregularities then it would have to go before a court. Whilst I don't agree with many of the restrictions on the press and freedom of speech as far as I know it relates mainly to the existing LM laws and criticism of the military. I don't think that will affect the reporting of these cases should they ever come about.

Does this mean they could be going through her'dirty laundry', now that would be an eye opener.

Does this mean they could be going through her'dirty laundry', now that would be an eye opener.

I checked your profile which tells me very little apart from the fact you're male, which I would probably have guessed anyway. Reading your post tells me so much more.