Yingluck faces suit over Bt600 bn losses

[webfact]

RICE-PLEDGING SCHEME
Yingluck faces suit over Bt600 bn losses
The Nation

NACC says Finance Ministry must sue her and others for damages from rice scheme

BANGKOK: -- The National Anti-Corruption Commission resolved yesterday that it will recommend the Finance Ministry to sue former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra for about Bt600 billion in damages - for failing to stop massive losses to state coffers incurred by her government's controversial rice-pledging scheme.

NACC chairman Panthep Klanarongran stressed that the anti-graft agency was not going after anyone in particular. The compensation figure included an estimate of the loss in value of rice that degraded while stored for a long time under the scheme. And the Finance Ministry has that figure, he said.

The ministry would have to consider whether there might be others who should also be held responsible, he said.

The claim should not be lower than Bt600 billion, as that was in line with the damage assessment by the NACC, which concluded with the third round of the rice project, he said.

Yingluck was derelict in performing her duties as both prime minister and chairwoman of the National Rice Policy Committee in handling the rice-pledging scheme, he said.

The Finance Ministry had no choice but to act on the advice of the NACC because the law stipulates that the anti-graft agency makes a recommendation to a state agency that suffers corruption-related damage and because the Finance Ministry was the guarantor of all rice under the scheme, they had to take legal action, he said.

Asked if he was worried that the NACC would be viewed as aiming at Yingluck in particular, Panthep said the anti-graft officials had discussed this at their meeting, but said "what else could the NACC do?" - such action was required in the law governing the body.

The anti-graft agency would have to keep on trying to explain the matter till people understood - but he believed many people do.

"I insist that we act in accordance with the law. If there is still a lack of understanding, then we will have to keep on explaining until it is understood. It is believe that many understand.

"Nevertheless, the law did not state the timeframe for the Finance Ministry to take action. But the Finance Ministry is prepared and could probably move on it right away," he said.

Yingluck told to report tomorrow

The Attorney-General's Office has asked Yingluck to report to it tomorrow so that prosecutors can indict her at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders for allegedly failing to stop corruption and huge losses to the treasury from the rice-subsidy scheme.

The National Legislative Assembly voted last month to impeach her for the same charges.

Norawit Lalang, Yingluck's lawyer, said his client was ready to fight the case in court and would not flee the country or seek political asylum.

Last week, United States' diplomats rejected reports that Yingluck had sought asylum in the US.

Norawit said Yingluck was not legally required to be present in the courtroom when prosecutors charge her and he was waiting for Yingluck's decision on whether to appear in the court.

"Even if she does not report herself tomorrow, that would not affect the case because no regulation stipulates that she must be there.

"If the Supreme Court accepts the case and schedules the first hearing, she must be present on that day, otherwise the case would be adversely affected,'' he said.

A team of lawyers would brief her on details of the case again.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Yingluck-faces-suit-over-Bt600-bn-losses-30254324.html

-- The Nation 2015-02-18

[thesetat2013]

It is hard to believe they would make a comment that if she fails to show to the OAG tomorrow it would not affect her case.

YL would be a fool to believe this as well. Failure to appear would show a lack of responsibility and ensure a negative reaction by all. Guilty by inaction. If she is truly innocent of these charges she should be banging their door down ready to fight and stand up for herself.

Unfortunately she is really doesn't know what happened under her watch. It is hard to know these things from a shopping mall in another country. I don't foresee her winning this case since she can not answer from a script. It is a smart thing her people advised her in moving her money out of Thailand though. The courts can't take it of it is not here.

[siampolee]

When one is a clone proxy you are centre stage the Prima Donna or in Yinglucks case ''A Diva'' and you are the centre of attraction.Yet behind the scenes you are worth as much as a used tissue as has been so plainly proved by Yinglucks operator, her brother.

Now that the lady is the centre of attraction indeed it is somewhat interesting to note just how supportive her old operator(s) are of her now.

Where is her brother, Surapong, Chalerm all of those other little sycophants etc? All indeed before very vocal and pro Yingluck now she stands alone, indeed poetic justice for the family member of the Shinwatra clan which shows in reality that blood is thinner than water.

Every action has a consequence

[tbthailand]

Funny how they always feel the need to make statements like:

NACC chairman Panthep Klanarongran stressed that the anti-graft agency was not going after anyone in particular.

that is hilarious...

But then they had this, too...

The anti-graft agency would have to keep on trying to explain the matter till people understood - but he believed many people do.

So that the NACC now has the same problem as the 'NCPO' in that people don't "understand"??

Sure, these guys are a bunch of cards, but surely they realize that everyone understands....

[scorecard]

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

When one is a clone proxy you are centre stage the Prima Donna or in Yinglucks case ''A Diva'' and you are the centre of attraction.Yet behind the scenes you are worth as much as a used tissue as has been so plainly proved by Yinglucks operator, her brother.

Now that the lady is the centre of attraction indeed it is somewhat interesting to note just how supportive her old operator(s) are of her now.

Where is her brother, Surapong, Chalerm all of those other little sycophants etc? All indeed before very vocal and pro Yingluck now she stands alone, indeed poetic justice for the family member of the Shinwatra clan which shows in reality that blood is thinner than water.

Every action has a consequence

Where is her brother now indeed.

Well he did put his head up instantly reconciliation was mentioned along with his statement that he would only talk to decision makers.

As always, selfish X 3.

[Tonawatchee]

Members of the Thai government can be sued? Let me dream for a moment....lawsuits for the crappy roads, inadequate electrical service, non-enforceable traffic laws...all right, I'm shutting off before someone wakes me up.

[Baerboxer]

Funny how they always feel the need to make statements like:

NACC chairman Panthep Klanarongran stressed that the anti-graft agency was not going after anyone in particular.

that is hilarious...

But then they had this, too...

The anti-graft agency would have to keep on trying to explain the matter till people understood - but he believed many people do.

So that the NACC now has the same problem as the 'NCPO' in that people don't "understand"??

Sure, these guys are a bunch of cards, but surely they realize that everyone understands....

Very simple really.

Is is possible / desirable for a PM to lead the country whilst rarely attending parliament, refusing any debate, refusing to give answers to some questions, admitting to cavorting with a known criminal fugitive, have several cabinet shuffles in less than 3 years including bringing back her bother's mates after their bans for corruption expired, and openly telling lies?

Is it possible / desirable for the self appointed chair of the rice policy scheme to ensure the scheme is running as efficiently and effectively as possible without actually attending any meetings? Can all warnings from international organizations, opposition MP's, civil servants and farmers themselves all simply be brushed aside by someone who never attended the meetings she was supposed to chair?

Yingluck had the chance to explain and answer questions during the impeachment process. Instead she held the usual party line - "I'm innocent, I've done nothing wrong, this is all political" etc., etc. All while claiming she and only she was in charge.

I'm sure they do realize that more and more do understand the role Yingluck really played, as a willing stooge, for another of her brother's money making scams at the expense of the Thai people, particularly those very one she claims to represent. Somewhere around 6-7 billion baht vanishes, no accounting, and she claims all was well.

[rametindallas]

The anti-graft agency would have to keep on trying to explain the matter till people understood

They needn't worry because the people don't care. Only the paid lackeys and Thaksin cultists will bother to be indignant. When they aren't being constantly harangued and stirred up by Thaksin's agitators, Thai people are mostly laid-back and accepting of their fate and the fate of others. Thai people believe in Buddhism and Karma and whatever happens to Ms Yingluck is just her Karma.

[kareona]

Funny how they always feel the need to make statements like:

NACC chairman Panthep Klanarongran stressed that the anti-graft agency was not going after anyone in particular.

that is hilarious...

But then they had this, too...

The anti-graft agency would have to keep on trying to explain the matter till people understood - but he believed many people do.

So that the NACC now has the same problem as the 'NCPO' in that people don't "understand"??

Sure, these guys are a bunch of cards, but surely they realize that everyone understands....

Very simple really.

Is is possible / desirable for a PM to lead the country whilst rarely attending parliament, refusing any debate, refusing to give answers to some questions, admitting to cavorting with a known criminal fugitive, have several cabinet shuffles in less than 3 years including bringing back her bother's mates after their bans for corruption expired, and openly telling lies?

Is it possible / desirable for the self appointed chair of the rice policy scheme to ensure the scheme is running as efficiently and effectively as possible without actually attending any meetings? Can all warnings from international organizations, opposition MP's, civil servants and farmers themselves all simply be brushed aside by someone who never attended the meetings she was supposed to chair?

Yingluck had the chance to explain and answer questions during the impeachment process. Instead she held the usual party line - "I'm innocent, I've done nothing wrong, this is all political" etc., etc. All while claiming she and only she was in charge.

I'm sure they do realize that more and more do understand the role Yingluck really played, as a willing stooge, for another of her brother's money making scams at the expense of the Thai people, particularly those very one she claims to represent. Somewhere around 6-7 billion baht vanishes, no accounting, and she claims all was well.

I suppose you are talking about PM Prayut, right? He is never attending parlement, is getting angry with questions from reporters and appointed only his mates in parlement, government, military and the bureacracy.

[peptidebomber]

Who gets sued from the army for the GT200 debacle??

I like the precedent, maybe the Australian's can sue Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd for the astronomical losses suffered under their government.

[scorecard]

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Members of the Thai government can be sued? Let me dream for a moment....lawsuits for the crappy roads, inadequate electrical service, non-enforceable traffic laws...all right, I'm shutting off before someone wakes me up.

IMHO your point is valid but is a crappy road in the same league as 600Billion Baht disappeared?

Ultimately one would hope that the time comes (and soon) where builders of crappy roads etc., are also quickly sued and severely punished and including any government / local officials who are found to be involved.

But there is a case to say get the big fish first to start to set some new and better principles, also hopefully getting people overall to be more moral and ethical, etc.

[binjalin]

ridiculous... what next sue Bush and Blair? how about sue Thatcher's estate for the Poll Tax debacle? Let's sue Cameron for costs in Afghanistan?

it is incredulous that public service figures could be sued for decisions they make in good faith it would lead to know one ever deciding anything and no one standing for election!!!

hey WAIT is that the 'cunning plan'? no one ever stands for election here???

that might be a stroke of 'Junta Genius'

[Jimbolai]

how can she possibly be held responsible when the rice business was taken away from her at gun point? Is the new owner, Junta, not responsible for the bad as well as the good?

Thailand will have no credibility in the world if they simply depose an elected leader and then prosecute her when things go wrong. Sorry, this is not to be critical of the government, just saying.

[MikeOboe57]

Funny how they always feel the need to make statements like:

NACC chairman Panthep Klanarongran stressed that the anti-graft agency was not going after anyone in particular.

that is hilarious...

But then they had this, too...

The anti-graft agency would have to keep on trying to explain the matter till people understood - but he believed many people do.

So that the NACC now has the same problem as the 'NCPO' in that people don't "understand"??

Sure, these guys are a bunch of cards, but surely they realize that everyone understands....

As your Queen of Hearts constantly reiterated that she was not a mere figurehead for her brother but actually "really" the PM and in charge of Government, cabinet reshuffles and Thaksin´s rice scam, who else should be held accountable but her?

[FangFerang]

"The Finance Ministry had no choice but to act on the advice of the NACC..."

No one has a choice under military rule.

Heh, he -- they made us do it.

[siampolee]

FangFerang post # 15

"The Finance Ministry had no choice but to act on the advice of the NACC..."

No one has a choice under military rule.

Heh, he -- they made us do it.

"The Finance Ministry had no choice but to act on the advice of the P.T.P. puppet administration..."

No one has a choice under the P.T.P. puppet administration rule.

Heh, he, .. she -- they made us do it.

[scorecard]

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

ridiculous... what next sue Bush and Blair? how about sue Thatcher's estate for the Poll Tax debacle? Let's sue Cameron for costs in Afghanistan?

it is incredulous that public service figures could be sued for decisions they make in good faith it would lead to know one ever deciding anything and no one standing for election!!!

hey WAIT is that the 'cunning plan'? no one ever stands for election here???

that might be a stroke of 'Junta Genius'

Rubbish, because what your saying is that there should never be accountability.

Your bias is so big that it trips you up.

Edited February 18, 2015 by scorecard

[binjalin]

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

ridiculous... what next sue Bush and Blair? how about sue Thatcher's estate for the Poll Tax debacle? Let's sue Cameron for costs in Afghanistan?

it is incredulous that public service figures could be sued for decisions they make in good faith it would lead to know one ever deciding anything and no one standing for election!!!

hey WAIT is that the 'cunning plan'? no one ever stands for election here???

that might be a stroke of 'Junta Genius'

Rubbish, because what your saying is that there should never be accountability.

Your bias is so big that it trips you up.

accountability is by the electorate my junta loving friend

[trainman34014]

What we really care about.jpg

The anti-graft agency would have to keep on trying to explain the matter till people understood

They needn't worry because the people don't care. Only the paid lackeys and Thaksin cultists will bother to be indignant. When they aren't being constantly harangued and stirred up by Thaksin's agitators, Thai people are mostly laid-back and accepting of their fate and the fate of others. Thai people believe in Buddhism and Karma and whatever happens to Ms Yingluck is just her Karma.

So true; only last evening i was talking to a couple of Thai friends, well educated and aware of the current situation. Both of them stated that they couldn't care a less what happens to anyone from Government's past as they know they are all crooks and couldn't care a less about the general population. The main concern of the 'ordinary man' is for himself and his family and as long as they can provide what's required for themselves all else is of no consequence to them. I have never met a Thai that trusts any Thai Politicians.

[Thai at Heart]

So they are claiming that the whole 600bn is a corruption related loss.

Well, this should make for a short case.

[robblok]

ridiculous... what next sue Bush and Blair? how about sue Thatcher's estate for the Poll Tax debacle? Let's sue Cameron for costs in Afghanistan?

it is incredulous that public service figures could be sued for decisions they make in good faith it would lead to know one ever deciding anything and no one standing for election!!!

hey WAIT is that the 'cunning plan'? no one ever stands for election here???

that might be a stroke of 'Junta Genius'

Actually its a great step forward.. I would love to sue those politicians who made the Greek loans. Accountability that is what its is all about.

[Thai at Heart]

ridiculous... what next sue Bush and Blair? how about sue Thatcher's estate for the Poll Tax debacle? Let's sue Cameron for costs in Afghanistan?

it is incredulous that public service figures could be sued for decisions they make in good faith it would lead to know one ever deciding anything and no one standing for election!!!

hey WAIT is that the 'cunning plan'? no one ever stands for election here???

that might be a stroke of 'Junta Genius'

Actually its a great step forward.. I would love to sue those politicians who made the Greek loans. Accountability that is what its is all about.

It will create complete policy paralysis. No one will do anything for fear of subsequent retrospective prosecution.

The parliament enacts a policy.

Its thus legal. Its not illegal to spent govt money at a loss, or there wouldn't be a library anywhere in the world. It is deemed socially beneficial.

I wouldn't want to live in any world where every govt policy had to make money. Every politician good and bad in Thailand may as well quit if this precedent stands.

They will all end up being prosecuted.

[halloween]

accountability is by the electorate my junta loving friend

........and the law be damned.

[halloween]

So they are claiming that the whole 600bn is a corruption related loss.

Well, this should make for a short case.

If you take the time to realise that the policy was corrupt from inception, and then again from reenactment - nothing but a scam disguised as a false vote-buyer, and never intended to achieve its stated aims, then why wouldn't ALL the losses be accountable?

[robblok]

ridiculous... what next sue Bush and Blair? how about sue Thatcher's estate for the Poll Tax debacle? Let's sue Cameron for costs in Afghanistan?

it is incredulous that public service figures could be sued for decisions they make in good faith it would lead to know one ever deciding anything and no one standing for election!!!

hey WAIT is that the 'cunning plan'? no one ever stands for election here???

that might be a stroke of 'Junta Genius'

Actually its a great step forward.. I would love to sue those politicians who made the Greek loans. Accountability that is what its is all about.

It will create complete policy paralysis. No one will do anything for fear of subsequent retrospective prosecution.

The parliament enacts a policy.

Its thus legal. Its not illegal to spent govt money at a loss, or there wouldn't be a library anywhere in the world. It is deemed socially beneficial.

I wouldn't want to live in any world where every govt policy had to make money. Every politician good and bad in Thailand may as well quit if this precedent stands.

They will all end up being prosecuted.

No the problem was here that it was off budget and there was no money reserved for it in the budget. Even when people pointed out the project was not self financing and cost money they still not included it in the budget. The reason was they were already at the max deficit and including this program would have meant to either trim it or scrap other vote buying programs.

There is nothing wrong with stuff like this but there is when you don't budget for it.. when you bully everyone that says it cost money and ignore the problem. When the word bank, IMF and Moodies warned about it and she still ignored it.

You can spend what you want as long as you budget it and keep it clear and transparent. That was exactly what was not done there. Try keeping an amount like that off the books in a democratic country and see what it gets you. Especially if you were warned it cost money and you ignore all the proof. You keep telling people its does not cost a thing and is self financing even though its proven its running at a loss and costing money. That is fraud in a civilized country.

[mathias67]

"The Finance Ministry had no choice but to act on the advice of the NACC..."

No one has a choice under military rule.

Heh, he -- they made us do it.

She will be OK as she can always ask her brother to cough up and pay, lets face it he is worth a bob or two

[Thai at Heart]

So they are claiming that the whole 600bn is a corruption related loss.

Well, this should make for a short case.

If you take the time to realise that the policy was corrupt from inception, and then again from reenactment - nothing but a scam disguised as a false vote-buyer, and never intended to achieve its stated aims, then why wouldn't ALL the losses be accountable?

Then every social programming in govt is liable.

[robblok]

So they are claiming that the whole 600bn is a corruption related loss.

Well, this should make for a short case.

If you take the time to realise that the policy was corrupt from inception, and then again from reenactment - nothing but a scam disguised as a false vote-buyer, and never intended to achieve its stated aims, then why wouldn't ALL the losses be accountable?

Then every social programming in govt is liable.

Only those that are in the books for making a profit / not costing a thing. Then when proof otherwise comes out and you try to suppress it (lady that came with figures got threatened with lawsuit, democrats were laughed at and told we got a majority we do what we want).

So your only in trouble if you don't budget for it while people have told you it cost money.. and then take it one step further try to suppress that information and bully those who come out with the figures.

So if she had taken it up in the national budget (but then she had to cut spending on other programs) she would have been safe. But she did not.. she needed all the vote buying programs to stay in power.

[halloween]

So they are claiming that the whole 600bn is a corruption related loss.

Well, this should make for a short case.

If you take the time to realise that the policy was corrupt from inception, and then again from reenactment - nothing but a scam disguised as a false vote-buyer, and never intended to achieve its stated aims, then why wouldn't ALL the losses be accountable?

Then every social programming in govt is liable.

Read it again. It was a scam disguised as a vote-buyer, and there was never any intention to meet its stated aims. Who ended up with the money, the poorest rice farmers or landlords, storage operators and large scale farmers? Why were there no changes made to the previous incarnation which had exactly the same result?

[metisdead]

A post containing an unsubstantiated allegation has been removed as it is nothing but a rumour.