Thai govt officials charged in rice deals told to leave

[webfact]

Govt officials charged in rice deals told to leave
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Civil servants, who were among 21 people recently charged by the anti-graft agency for fraud in connection with the government-to-government rice deals, may end up losing their government jobs, a senior Commerce Ministry official said yesterday.

Permanent Secretary Chutima Bunyapraphasara, said that the ministry would need to wait for clear documents from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) before deciding how it would punish the two government officials.

"This is the first time officials from this ministry are [allegedly] involved in a fraudulent case. The ministry will need to wait for clear documents from the NACC so we can make a decision on how to punish them," Chutima explained.

Two government officials and one former official of the ministry's Foreign Trade Department were found to have played a role in four government-to-government schemes.

Chutima said once the ministry has the document from the NACC, action will be taken within 30 days. She said the maximum penalty for this could be dishonourable discharge.

As for the retired official, he could face criminal and civil charges.

According to the NACC, individuals and companies found involved in this case will also face further investigation by the Customs and Revenue Departments.

The fraudulent deals were created to absorb the government's huge stockpiles of rice under the pledging scheme. In June 2011, former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom announced that the ministry had struck government-to-government deals for 7.23 million tonnes of rice.

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry has estimated that losses caused by the rice-pledging scheme could reach Bt682 billion as of the end of 2014.

Rungson Sriworasat, permanent secretary at the Finance Ministry, said yesterday that the post-auditing committee for the scheme would speed up its task of checking the state's rice inventories.

A report on the losses caused by the scheme will be reported to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha by February 15.

In addition, Boonsong said he was being made a prey in the political game, and that the actual aim was to impeach former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

He added that the NACC should not put the entire blame for the Bt600 billion losses on Yingluck's government, as it did earn some money from selling the rice. He pointed out that the four contracts to sell the rice were worth Bt70.54 billion and that the ministry had already given the money earned from the rice sale to the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Govt-officials-charged-in-rice-deals-told-to-leave-30252424.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-22

[halloween]

I hope she is wrong when she states "...the maximum penalty for this could be dishonourable discharge." Why should public servants have immunity from prosecution of their criminal acts.

[Thai at Heart]

"This is the first time officials from this ministry are [allegedly] involved in a fraudulent case

Bending the truth slightly, this is just the first time the system has caught up with this ministry.

[shirtless]

I like the wording may loose their jobs Thailand really is a joke for their stance on corruption,

[hanuman2543]

"This is the first time officials from this ministry are [allegedly] involved in a fraudulent case."

This is the first time that officials from this ministry after allegedly being involved in a fraudulent case are not transferred to inactive posts, instead maybe get punished for their criminal actions.

Edited January 22, 2015 by hanuman2543

[ramrod711]

He added that the NACC should not put the entire blame for the Bt600 billion losses on Yingluck's government, as it did earn some money from selling the rice. He pointed out that the four contracts to sell the rice were worth Bt70.54 billion and that the ministry had already given the money earned from the rice sale to the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

You have to love Boonsongs reasoning, basically he is telling the taxpayers; It wasn't that bad, we only lost 530 billion, and we paid some money to the bank.

[SABloke]

So if you work for the government, fraud is a misdemeanor...if you don't, it's a felony.

[chainarong]

One can have some sympathy for those caught up in this scam because at the time the only way to retain your job with the PTP was to be a yes man , just how many would be in this boat who knows with all the nepotism and baggage the PTP carried, however unless there are memos or recordings stating their opposition to this scam they haven't a leg to stand on,

[Bluespunk]

'Civil servants, who were among 21 people recently charged by the anti-graft agency for fraud in connection with the government-to-government rice deals, may end up losing their government jobs, a senior Commerce Ministry official said yesterday.'

May?

[scorecard]

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He added that the NACC should not put the entire blame for the Bt600 billion losses on Yingluck's government, as it did earn some money from selling the rice. He pointed out that the four contracts to sell the rice were worth Bt70.54 billion and that the ministry had already given the money earned from the rice sale to the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

You have to love Boonsongs reasoning, basically he is telling the taxpayers; It wasn't that bad, we only lost 530 billion, and we paid some money to the bank.

This is a bit like ' yes I murdered him but I did the right think I covered his face.'

[worgeordie]

Really finding the truth behind what happened to the rice,

should not be difficult at all,I mean you cannot hide a mountain

of rice under the mat, maybe they had David Copperfield involved

rice is here ,now gone,just like that,if people don't start getting

prison sentences,they will be no deterrent,and it will be business

as usual .

regards Worgeordie

[spidermike007]

If they really want to see change, progress, and growth, I would encourage them to ask them to leave the country. You have done a great disservice to your country, and the crown, and you are now required to leave your beloved Thailand. You will never be welcomed back. For the rest of your lives. Take your entire immediate family, and your fortunes, which you have earned illegitimately, and live overseas. What kind of impact would a policy like that have on government officials? Imagine the reaction? Imagine the kind of reform that would be possible with a policy that serious? Leave your job? You have got to be kidding. That is the only penalty I get for bankrupting the country? Easy. I would do it again, if given the chance, considering how easy I got off.

[trogers]

Lots of teeth but no bites. Ahh...the fearsome tiger pounces again.

[CiaranO]

Sacking 21 Government officials is a good start but this needs to be implemented across the board in all aspects of Government positions.

This is just not some isolated case - the two most corrupt departments as per a recent survey was the land department and police.

[bheard]

"This is the first time officials from this ministry are [allegedly] involved in a fraudulent case

Bending the truth slightly, this is just the first time the system has caught up with this ministry.

Is she trying to tell us that this is the first ever case of officials being involved in corruption? Give me strength!

[Baerboxer]

"This is the first time officials from this ministry are [allegedly] involved in a fraudulent case

Bending the truth slightly, this is just the first time the system has caught up with this ministry.

How do you know this?

[smedly]

Really finding the truth behind what happened to the rice,

should not be difficult at all,I mean you cannot hide a mountain

of rice under the mat, maybe they had David Copperfield involved

rice is here ,now gone,just like that,if people don't start getting

prison sentences,they will be no deterrent,and it will be business

as usual .

regards Worgeordie

The whole thing reminds me of Tommy Cooper performing a magic trick

[than]

And red leaders said there was no corruption in scheme !?!

Well I hope justice will condemn all corrupt politician and civil servant who play role in this scandal

[rubl]

He added that the NACC should not put the entire blame for the Bt600 billion losses on Yingluck's government, as it did earn some money from selling the rice. He pointed out that the four contracts to sell the rice were worth Bt70.54 billion and that the ministry had already given the money earned from the rice sale to the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

You have to love Boonsongs reasoning, basically he is telling the taxpayers; It wasn't that bad, we only lost 530 billion, and we paid some money to the bank.

Actually I read this as despite paying back some there is still a Bt600 billion loss.

BTW the actual loss figures admitted to by Yingluck Administration involved people seems to increase steadily.

[Suffinator]

Chutima said once the ministry has the document from the NACC, action will be taken within 30 days. She said the maximum penalty for this could be dishonourable discharge.

And this is a clear indication as to why corruption is so widespread in Thailand ... nobody is ever punished because effectively they are all at it. With the amount of money that these people steal it's more than enough to set them and their families up for life ... who cares about losing their job when they have millions in the bank.

This is nothing short of yet another farce in the land of the shameless.

[Thai at Heart]

"This is the first time officials from this ministry are [allegedly] involved in a fraudulent case

Bending the truth slightly, this is just the first time the system has caught up with this ministry.

How do you know this?

That is her claim not mine. I found it rather incredible that this is the first time some official have been done for corruption at the commerce ministry. What are the odds?

[tomross46]

The government employees involved in corruption should be happy. If this was like other ASEAN countries in the area they would be executed for corruption.

[inzman]

No justice served if your a hotshot and are important. Only the poor ever see the inside of jail. Is this another form of inactive post?

[scorecard]

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"This is the first time officials from this ministry are [allegedly] involved in a fraudulent case


Bending the truth slightly, this is just the first time the system has caught up with this ministry.

How do you know this?

This is so typical of TAH, and others.

Write things in a way that it reads as fact, when it's not fact at all, often untruthful, often quite misleading,

all just wishing thinking and/or perception management work to push a nasty agenda.

[bangrak]

Chutima said once the ministry has the document from the NACC, action will be taken within 30 days. She said the maximum penalty for this could be dishonourable discharge.

And this is a clear indication as to why corruption is so widespread in Thailand ... nobody is ever punished because effectively they are all at it. With the amount of money that these people steal it's more than enough to set them and their families up for life ... who cares about losing their job when they have millions in the bank.

This is nothing short of yet another farce in the land of the shameless.

Can you imagine, when they'd be punished harshly, they might start talking in revenge, and rat on the scores of other corrupt deals they know about involving their colleagues. Can't have that, can we? It could even put 'the system' in danger...

[selftaopath]

If they really want to see change, progress, and growth, I would encourage them to ask them to leave the country. You have done a great disservice to your country, and the crown, and you are now required to leave your beloved Thailand. You will never be welcomed back. For the rest of your lives. Take your entire immediate family, and your fortunes, which you have earned illegitimately, and live overseas. What kind of impact would a policy like that have on government officials? Imagine the reaction? Imagine the kind of reform that would be possible with a policy that serious? Leave your job? You have got to be kidding. That is the only penalty I get for bankrupting the country? Easy. I would do it again, if given the chance, considering how easy I got off.

They might be glad to be reunited with their Red Leader.

[PepperMe]

One can have some sympathy for those caught up in this scam because at the time the only way to retain your job with the PTP was to be a yes man , just how many would be in this boat who knows with all the nepotism and baggage the PTP carried, however unless there are memos or recordings stating their opposition to this scam they haven't a leg to stand on,

But when you look at the billions they will have in their offshore bank accounts, it is difficult to summon up any sympathy.

[Old Man River]

Really finding the truth behind what happened to the rice,

should not be difficult at all,I mean you cannot hide a mountain

of rice under the mat, maybe they had David Copperfield involved

rice is here ,now gone,just like that,if people don't start getting

prison sentences,they will be no deterrent,and it will be business

as usual .

regards Worgeordie

The whole thing reminds me of Tommy Cooper performing a magic trick

Allegedly, the rice was sold to over 100 traders who would have resold it in smaller lots to many different buyers. If, as alleged, the rice never left Thailand, it is possible some of it could have been sold back to the government to be resold again. No need for David Copperfield.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Lots of teeth but no bites. Ahh...the fearsome tiger pounces again.

Tut tut! Incorrect spelling, should read 'ponces' again.....

[catinthehat]

BANGKOK: -- Civil servants, who were among 21 people recently charged by the anti-graft agency for fraud in connection with the government-to-government rice deals, may end up losing their government jobs, a senior Commerce Ministry official said yesterday. Why is it always "may" instead of will???? They've already been charged!!!!!

Permanent Secretary Chutima Bunyapraphasara, said that the ministry would need to wait for clear documents from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) before deciding how it would punish the two government officials. As stated above, they've already been charged!!!!

"This is the first time officials from this ministry are [allegedly] involved in a fraudulent case. How could he keep a straight face while spewing such garbage? The ministry will need to wait for clear documents from the NACC so we can make a decision on how to punish them," Chutima explained.

Two government officials and one former official of the ministry's Foreign Trade Department were found to have played a role in four government-to-government schemes.

Chutima said once the ministry has the document from the NACC, action will be taken within 30 days. Certainly not enought time to let the masses forget while the dust settles (which IS exactly what will happen). She said the maximum penalty for this could be dishonourable discharge. Once again "could" should be replaced with should. and they shalll not collect any pension or retirement benefits of any kind. What about paying back someor all of the losses from the windfall profits they all received? This WOULD happen in any civilized country!!!! Although too many cronies to protect and face saving here.

As for the retired official, he could face criminal and civil charges. And only this fellow? What about the others. Or are they like MP's and immune to any prosecution?

According to the NACC, individuals and companies found involved in this case will also face further investigation by the Customs and Revenue Departments.

The fraudulent deals were created to absorb the government's huge stockpiles of rice under the pledging scheme. In June 2011, former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom announced that the ministry had struck government-to-government deals for 7.23 million tonnes of rice.

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry has estimated that losses caused by the rice-pledging scheme could reach Bt682 billion as of the end of 2014. And no one is at fault or liable for this pillaging of the state coffers.

Rungson Sriworasat, permanent secretary at the Finance Ministry, said yesterday that the post-auditing committee for the scheme would speed up its task of checking the state's rice inventories. And to date how many "audits" of the stockpiles have been perfomred already????? And how much was reported as actually sellable????? And how much is rotten? And missing from the scaffolding voids???????

A report on the losses caused by the scheme will be reported to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha by February 15.

In addition, Boonsong said he was being made a prey in the political game, Same old song......different day. and that the actual aim was to impeach former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

He added that the NACC should not put the entire blame for the Bt600 billion losses on Yingluck's government, Then who shall be blamed? as it did earn some money from selling the rice. He pointed out that the four contracts to sell the rice were worth Bt70.54 billion and that the ministry had already given the money earned from the rice sale to the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives. Do they know this for sure? As they've already stated that the actual "purchaser" of the rice seemed to be cronies of these scum. IMHO I would think that the money went from the corrupt trail directly into all of YL's teams offshore accounts.

Same old garbage collected by the same old garbage collectors. Only on a different day this week.

My comments in red to specific selections from the article noted highlighted in blue.