Prosecutors decide not to indict Yingluck on the rice case

[webfact]

BANGKOK: -- Prosecutors decided not to indict Yingluck Shinawatra on the rice case and a joint panel with the anti-graft agency will be formed to seek more evidence.

Source: Bangkok Post sms

2014-09-04

[ramrod711]

That settles it then, in Thailand, incompetence is a valid defense.......if your last name is Shinawatra.

[bino]

Clap one hand if you are surprised by this news.

[ratcatcher]

[webfact]

Attorney General declines to prosecute Yingluck - for now
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Attorney-General's Office on Thursday decided to set up a joint committee of public prosecutors and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to conduct further investigations into the rice-pledging case against former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The NACC has asked the attorney general to prosecute Yingluck for dereliction of duty in neglecting to act on corruption in the rice-pledging scheme.

Wanchai Rujanawong, spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General, said the setting up of the joint committee was aimed at strengthening and plugging all the loopholes in the case so that it would be "perfect" before public prosecutors brought Yingluck before the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.

The committee will be set up within 14 days.

Wanchai said he decided to conduct more investigations because he did not want to see the case rejected by the court.

"We need to show the court in detail how the accused committed the crimes. You cannot just say summarily that corruption took place at every stage if the scheme without elaborating. You need to tell the court how the corruption happened," he said.

The NACC in July forwarded its investigative report to state attorneys with the recommendation to seek Yingluck’s indictment by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Attorney-General-declines-to-prosecute-Yingluck--f-30242520.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-04

[thesetat2013]

This should not be unexpected.... So many have been cleared of all charges recently on both side that it would not surprise me if a deal was made so the Junta could move the country forward without any uprisings of the people.

The only thing I hope will not happen is that they let her brother come back without a lengthy prison sentence.

Let YL do her shopping trips and stay out of politics... Let Suthep study his new found religion as a monk and stay out of politics. Keep the peace and make so none of the old get a chance to form new parties or run in any future elections. Prison is not going to make YL feel guilty for losing the country billions of THB and for the lies she stated that all the rice was in inventory and all was of good quality. She has done her merits for this already. Thailand will never recoup the money lost for her deeds.

[pookiki]

This should not be unexpected.... So many have been cleared of all charges recently on both side that it would not surprise me if a deal was made so the Junta could move the country forward without any uprisings of the people.

The only thing I hope will not happen is that they let her brother come back without a lengthy prison sentence.

Let YL do her shopping trips and stay out of politics... Let Suthep study his new found religion as a monk and stay out of politics. Keep the peace and make so none of the old get a chance to form new parties or run in any future elections. Prison is not going to make YL feel guilty for losing the country billions of THB and for the lies she stated that all the rice was in inventory and all was of good quality. She has done her merits for this already. Thailand will never recoup the money lost for her deeds.

As long as the junta 'wheels and deals', justice is served? Given the context in which the people have been 'cleared' in recent times, I'm not surprised either.

[webfact]

Yingluck escapes prosecution



BANGKOK: -- Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra escaped prosecution when the attorney-general said investigation file case prepared by the graft buster in rice scheme corruption scandal is incomplete and needs further investigation.

Attorney-general Trakul Winitnaiyapak said the investigation file was incomplete to proceed the prosecution.

He said a joint committee comprising representatives of the Office of the Attorney-General and the National Anti Corruption Commission will be set up to look into the file case again.

Earlier Mr Yrakul said he has set up a special team to look into the file case comprising more than 4,000 pages before making decision whether to indict Ms Yingluck of gross negligence of duty in supervising the rice pledging scheme causing extensive damage to the state.

He had also disclosed that Ms Yingluck had asked the Office of Attorney-General to question 50 more witnesses.

However, he said that the team of prosecutors would have to examine the case file first to determine whether the case was strong enough or not and whether more evidences are to be needed.

Ms Yingluck was charged of malfeasance that incurred 500 billion baht damages to the country in her rice pledging scheme.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/yingluck-escapes-prosecution/


-- Thai PBS 2014-09-04

[catterwell]

The headline could have more accurately read "not yet to indict". The evidence needs organising for a criminal case, and efforts need be made to fill evidential gaps. I don't find it surprising for the AG to opt for the joint AG-NACC committee approach.

[Cuchulainn]

There's a surprise.

[than]

There's a surprise.

AG need to be sure this case is strong before show it to court..... He will be sure that YL will be prosecute...

[Katipo]

I am Ok with this if it serves the greater good. The greater good being that the Junta is able to really move Thailand forward, away from the cancer that is corruption, and away from the Thaksin kleptocracy.

[fstarbkk]

The headline could have more accurately read "not yet to indict". The evidence needs organising for a criminal case, and efforts need be made to fill evidential gaps. I don't find it surprising for the AG to opt for the joint AG-NACC committee approach.

It is my fervent wish that you are right. The cynic side of me says that this is a common way to draw out the process untill nobody cares, or until everyone involved is too old to stand trial.

Let's hope you're right though, and that justice will come to those who have so callously squandered the country's money which is, after all, our hard-earned tax money.

[IamNoone88]

And what of the rice traders behind the scheme? When will they be prosecuted? They should also be brought to task.

[dcutman]

I thinks "escaped prosecution" is the wrong term. More like delayed prosecution pending further investigation would be a more appropriate term.

[Prbkk]

This is all about "face". After all the bluster and speculation it now transpires that there is no evidence. Solution: send it to a committee and it will be quietly forgotten.

[cocopops]

"We need to show the court in detail how the accused committed the crimes. You cannot just say summarily that corruption took place at every stage if the scheme without elaborating. You need to tell the court how the corruption happened," he said.

Really? You can't just convict by screaming "corruption" loudly? You have to check whether or not it took place first? Huh....

Edited September 4, 2014 by cocopops

[Fab5BKK]

I think I've found few rice bags in my garden

[bkkjames]

This is all about "face". After all the bluster and speculation it now transpires that there is no evidence. Solution: send it to a committee and it will be quietly forgotten.

wishful

[Thai at Heart]

"We need to show the court in detail how the accused committed the crimes. You cannot just say summarily that corruption took place at every stage if the scheme without elaborating. You need to tell the court how the corruption happened," he said.

Really? You can't just convict by screaming "corruption" loudly? You have to check whether or not it took place first? Huh....

Well ain't that something. They need to explain how it happened. Wow.

So, on the basis that one of the reasons for the coup was corruption in the rice scheme, can Thailand have its democracy back now?

[cocopops]

Has the Bangkok Post (or any other media) posted a list of the instances of rice scheme corruption found so far? For a while they were publishing updates on the warehouse inspections every day. Is the publicly available count still just that one warehouse, a dodgy truck driver and a couple of weevil infestations?

[webfact]

NACC Given Two Weeks To Polish Corruption Case Against Yingluck
By Khaosod English

BANGKOK — The Office of Attorney-General has postponed its decision on whether to pursue charges of corruption against former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in court, citing an incomplete investigation.

Wanchai Rujanawong, a spokesperson for the Attorney-General office, said the AG and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) will form a joint committee to strengthen the case against the former leader, who the NACC says failed to stop alleged corruption in the rice-pledging scheme that cost the state more than 500 billion baht in damages.

The NACC is now requesting the Attorney-General take up the case and try Ms. Yingluck in court. If found guilty, the former Prime Minister faces up to 10 years in prison.

However, Mr. Wanchai explained today that the case filed by the NACC is incomplete. According to Mr. Wanchai, the NACC must prove that Ms. Yingluck had the authority to put an end to the alleged corruption and neglected to address abuses she was aware of.

"Further investigation is needed, otherwise the court may acquit her," Mr. Wanchai said.

The rice subsidy scheme - a key policy of Ms. Yingluck’s administration - caused huge financial losses for the government and incurred harsh criticism from a number of financial experts.

In July, Ms. Yingluck insisted on her innocence and vowed to contest the NACC's accusations in court. She has been maintaining a low profile since the military seized power and toppled her government on 22 May.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1409821593


-- Khaosod English 2014-09-04

[SOTIRIOS]

...with over 80% of the rice 'tampered with' one way or another......that is a big surprise....

...thought they were going to 'make things right'.....

[Mr Yim]

Get real, she never had a case to anwer anyway. Governments get it wrong from time to time. Do you think Tony Blair and Gordon Brown should have stood trial for selling off Britains gold reserves between 1999 and 2002 or that Margaret Thatcher and Nigel Lawson should have stood trial for Black Wednesday when the pound was sold off at a cost of 3.4 billion to the country. If you hold a politician accountable everytime something goes wrong there would be no politicians left. All of those who continued to rant about Yingluck's involvement in the rice scheme as being corrupt, today have large helping of egg on their faces, end of.

Edited September 4, 2014 by Mr Yim

[XpatMike]

This is all about "face". After all the bluster and speculation it now transpires that there is no evidence. Solution: send it to a committee and it will be quietly forgotten.

Exactly! We think the same.

[dcutman]

"We need to show the court in detail how the accused committed the crimes. You cannot just say summarily that corruption took place at every stage if the scheme without elaborating. You need to tell the court how the corruption happened," he said.

Really? You can't just convict by screaming "corruption" loudly? You have to check whether or not it took place first? Huh....

Well ain't that something. They need to explain how it happened. Wow.

So, on the basis that one of the reasons for the coup was corruption in the rice scheme, can Thailand have its democracy back now?

Do you honestly believe Thailand had a democracy before the coup? Your defense that there was not widespread corruption in the rice scheme is what it is, but you and many others keep forgetting Yingluck is being charged with neglect of duty. I really dont believe it to hard to prove that she was negligent in her duty as the Chairperson of the rice commit or as the prime minister for that matter. Unless of course she changes her defense tactic and admits she was merely a puppet (clone) to her brother, and truly had no idea what was going on.

[Old Man River]

This is all about "face". After all the bluster and speculation it now transpires that there is no evidence. Solution: send it to a committee and it will be quietly forgotten.

I disagree. This has a long way to go yet.

It has been less than 2 months since the NACC set up a committee to investigate the possible involvement of 5 of YL's former ministers in a rice scheme corrupted transaction. As far as I understand it, YL herself doesn't have to have been involved directly to be malfeasant, but a proven incident of corruption has to have taken place that she should have known about. The more obvious the corruption (I.e. members of her government), the easier it would be for a court to prove malfeasance.

This has a long way to go.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Baerboxer]

"We need to show the court in detail how the accused committed the crimes. You cannot just say summarily that corruption took place at every stage if the scheme without elaborating. You need to tell the court how the corruption happened," he said.

Really? You can't just convict by screaming "corruption" loudly? You have to check whether or not it took place first? Huh....

Well ain't that something. They need to explain how it happened. Wow.

So, on the basis that one of the reasons for the coup was corruption in the rice scheme, can Thailand have its democracy back now?

And one of the reasons was to stop the murdering, shooting and grenade throwing at those who dared oppose PTP and their plans to connive an amnesty for their boss.

What's changed - suspect killers and terrorists arrested, lots of weapons seized. Just the minions though. Very good. Law and order returned, for now.

How many PTP leaders / UDD/ Red Shirt leaders charged with anything? Only the ones who fled or refused to "cooperate".

Looks like some deals were brokered during those friendly little chats.

As for this rice scheme, Yingluck lied, there are lots of stock and quality discrepancies, and circa 500 billion baht can't be accounted for.

Sweep it all under the carpet, let time be the healer, Thaksin will be back as soon as the statute of limitations on the 15 serious charges runs out, the breaking bail and conviction will then somehow fitter into mere memory.

Amazing Thailand!

[Bernard Flint]

I think I've found few rice bags in my garden

Thief

[fab4]

"We need to show the court in detail how the accused committed the crimes. You cannot just say summarily that corruption took place at every stage if the scheme without elaborating. You need to tell the court how the corruption happened," he said.

You can in the Supreme Court of TVF.