Thai govt officials charged in rice deals told to leave

[scorecard]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

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.

I add again, this is like: 'Yes I murdered the man but I did the right thing, I covered his face.'

[selftaopath]

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.

Agree. I'll reiterate: Thailand is morally bankrupt. I hope and believe the "free world" is increasingly aware of the Land of Scams (LOS).

[TPI]

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.

Thank you, easy to read. I wish all OP's were as sensitive as you! Really!