Thai officials ousted for fraud over govt rice deals

[webfact]

Officials ousted for fraud over govt rice deals
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE Commerce Ministry has dismissed two top officials for alleged involvement in fraudulent "government-to-government" rice deals.

The decision to remove the Foreign Trade Department officials followed a committee ruling by the ministry's Office of the Civil Service Commission, and came after a National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) investigation.

A source from the ministry said the two civil servants had to be dismissed after the NACC found they had committed fraud.

The officials can, however, appeal the committee's decision through the Merit System Protection Commission within 30 days.

It is the first time something like this has happened at the ministry.

The two officials were involved in four alleged "government-to-government" rice deals led by former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and ex-commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom.

Other politicians and individuals, including a retired civil servant and the two aforementioned officials were also reported to have been involved.

The NACC filed a petition alleging corruption in the deals and has called on those involved to compensate the country over the huge financial loss.

There has also been a development in a separate case centred on high-level officials at state-owned Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) who were corrupted over the packed-rice scheme, with two officials provisionally discharged from the government service pending the result of an inquiry.

PWO chairman Jintana Chaiyawonnagal said the organisation had set up a committee to investigate the matter and would estimate the losses from the corruption and call on the ex-executives to pay compensation.

The scrapped rice-pledging scheme aimed to support poor farmers and produce cheap rice for sale to the public.

However, the PWO also found that a large quantity of rice disappeared from its stocks, while |the quality of much rice also |suffered.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Officials-ousted-for-fraud-over-govt-rice-deals-30254634.html

-- The Nation 2015-02-23

[Robby nz]

So the "Why haven't they gone after the officials" posters are being answered.

Wait for farther announcements, the money trail and restitution to come.

[siampolee]

Good to see positive action that seems to be actually going through the whole system irrespective of who and what and where.

Hit all the participants in all of the assorted scams hard destroy them character wise and financially wise, then hopefully over a period of time there may just be a system of accountability in place due to the fact that there will be a ''I know you can catch me and make me pay factor.''

.

[Somtamnication]

When the military says leave, you say ok!

[Ricardo]

When the military says leave, you say ok!

Except that this time, it was the NACC and an internal-committee of the Commerce Ministry which said to leave, not "the military".

"THE Commerce Ministry has dismissed two top officials for alleged involvement in fraudulent "government-to-government" rice deals.

The decision to remove the Foreign Trade Department officials followed a committee ruling by the ministry's Office of the Civil Service Commission, and came after a National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) investigation."

It's better than the usual sideways-move to an inactive-post, but criminal-prosecution and strenuous efforts to recover the money might be even better, in deterring others from future temptations ?

[siampolee]

BANGKOK: -- THE Commerce Ministry has dismissed two top officials for alleged involvement in fraudulent "government-to-government" rice deals.

The decision to remove the Foreign Trade Department officials followed a committee ruling by the ministry's Office of the Civil Service Commission, and came after a National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) investigation.

A source from the ministry said the two civil servants had to be dismissed after the NACC found they had committed fraud.

Kudos Ricardo for your comment

Perhaps Ricardo it is hopefully a demonstration that there is a lessening of political influence upon the relevant bodies and at last the tasks they are appointed to carry out can and will be done in a transparent and honest manner.

[HerbalEd]

They were "dismissed"?? What about arrest, indictment, trial, conviction and punishment? That's the way it's done in a democracy.

[Manbing]

I am surprised we have not yet heard from the YS support club, claiming the whole thing is a political stunt cooked up by the junta to remove the popular Shins family from politics.

[tbthailand]

I am surprised we have not yet heard from the YS support club, claiming the whole thing is a political stunt cooked up by the junta to remove the popular Shins family from politics.

maybe because the ploy is so obvious that it doesn't need to be pointed out?

I recall the junta counting all the rice last summer and concluding that 0.08% was missing. Now, 9 months later, there is a large amount missing and a committee is going to be set up to investigate?

This junta can find its tank with both hands.

[soalbundy]

When the military says leave, you say ok!

bet he gets to keep the money he made on the deal though, can't seem to be too tough.

[biggles45]

"Wait for farther announcements, the money trail and restitution to come."

Don't hold your breath, once the fuss dies down they will be back on the gravy train again. TIT and all the corrupt ones look after each other, just in case it is their turn next.

[Rod Wallop]

So we are again pretending that Thailand is somehow gonna come out of hundreds of years of corruption, nepotism, cronyism etc. and become the nice guy of Asia. Looking forward to it.

[tomyummer]

'Dismissed' and 'ousted' is the government's way of saying relieved of duty, arrested, and thrown in jail for life? And of course all the money to be returned to the people with interest. Sometimes the government says so much in so little words. Great to live in a country where corruption is dealt with so harshly.

[siampolee]

tomyummer post # 13.

'Dismissed' and 'ousted' is the government's way of saying relieved of duty, arrested, and thrown in jail for life? And of course all the money to be returned to the people with interest. Sometimes the government says so much in so little words. Great to live in a country where corruption is dealt with so harshly.

Now would that statement be linked to why you live here as opposed to elsewhere?

[maidee]

no lets say, they got millions in bribes ... no jail time, no restitution?

[mike324]

I am surprised we have not yet heard from the YS support club, claiming the whole thing is a political stunt cooked up by the junta to remove the popular Shins family from politics.

maybe because the ploy is so obvious that it doesn't need to be pointed out?

I recall the junta counting all the rice last summer and concluding that 0.08% was missing. Now, 9 months later, there is a large amount missing and a committee is going to be set up to investigate?

This junta can find its tank with both hands.

where did you get the 0.08% missing? from the very beginning it has always been a lot missing.

[Thaddeus]

I am surprised we have not yet heard from the YS support club, claiming the whole thing is a political stunt cooked up by the junta to remove the popular Shins family from politics.

maybe because the ploy is so obvious that it doesn't need to be pointed out?

Or more likely, it is a simple case of you reap what you sow.

[FangFerang]

Um, the people charged or dismissed here equal, we;ll, five people....how can five people (six including Yingluck) be responsible for 500 billion baht losses, I mean 700 billion baht losses, or is it 600 billion this week?

People on all three sides want to know "who did what", no matter if they are pink, amber or grey (cannot call them reds or yellows since foreigners are not allowed in Thai politics). Individual warehouse managers should be held accountable, as well as the auditors for their doctored books -- if it turns out to be an epidemic, instead of a localized outbreak.

This story does nothing to answer my primary questions, being 1) who done it? 2) how did they do it? 3) where is all this missing rice and cash? (please don't suggest that billions of baht in 1000 baht bills was trucked overland) and most important 5) what is being done to keep it from happening again?

Question five is not being answered, except with vague references to committees. This leads me to believe that the next bully boys in Gov House want the same privileges. No new cameras, accounting practices or preventive measures. Really?

How odd......?

[Baerboxer]

I am surprised we have not yet heard from the YS support club, claiming the whole thing is a political stunt cooked up by the junta to remove the popular Shins family from politics.

maybe because the ploy is so obvious that it doesn't need to be pointed out?

I recall the junta counting all the rice last summer and concluding that 0.08% was missing. Now, 9 months later, there is a large amount missing and a committee is going to be set up to investigate?

This junta can find its tank with both hands.

So you believe all the G2G rice deals were true, real deals with absolutely no corruption or anything untoward associated with them? Even the ones involving the 2 unlicensed Chinese import companies, who had no previous experience in importing foodstuff nor the licenses to do so, and Siam Indica who are subject to checks for forging export documentation?

I recall the country's first and now disgraced female PM saying how she'd negotiated G2G deals (all very secret though), that there were absolutely no quality or inventory issues and no corruption in the rice scheme or indeed in her government. I also remember her vowing to pay the farmers "next week".

Sorting out the den of iniquity created and nurtured by the desert thief is sure going to take some unraveling,

[Baerboxer]

I am surprised we have not yet heard from the YS support club, claiming the whole thing is a political stunt cooked up by the junta to remove the popular Shins family from politics.

maybe because the ploy is so obvious that it doesn't need to be pointed out?

I recall the junta counting all the rice last summer and concluding that 0.08% was missing. Now, 9 months later, there is a large amount missing and a committee is going to be set up to investigate?

This junta can find its tank with both hands.

where did you get the 0.08% missing? from the very beginning it has always been a lot missing.

Good question Mike. You know how Shin supporters can turn a minority into a "massive" majority when it suits? Well they can do the same in reverse, turn large numbers into very small ones when it suits.

All part of the magic creativity of the accounting usually associated with Thaksinomics. The numbers are what they say they are and never bare much connection to reality.

All of this could have been so easy, had PTP and the chair of the rice scheme ensured sound financial management and accounting controls were in place. But that would have defeated the object by exposing the feeding frenzy they created for their cronies. Transparency and accountability - the enemies of all Thaksin controlled regimes.

[Keesters]

I am surprised we have not yet heard from the YS support club, claiming the whole thing is a political stunt cooked up by the junta to remove the popular Shins family from politics.

maybe because the ploy is so obvious that it doesn't need to be pointed out?

I recall the junta counting all the rice last summer and concluding that 0.08% was missing. Now, 9 months later, there is a large amount missing and a committee is going to be set up to investigate?

This junta can find its tank with both hands.

where did you get the 0.08% missing? from the very beginning it has always been a lot missing.

Was talking with a Thai guy on Saturday. He reckons that no rice was stolen. When it was delivered to the silos the figures were highly inflated to show more than was actually recieved. Fiddling the books does seem a lot easier than physically stealing the stuff.

[robblok]

I am surprised we have not yet heard from the YS support club, claiming the whole thing is a political stunt cooked up by the junta to remove the popular Shins family from politics.

maybe because the ploy is so obvious that it doesn't need to be pointed out?

I recall the junta counting all the rice last summer and concluding that 0.08% was missing. Now, 9 months later, there is a large amount missing and a committee is going to be set up to investigate?

This junta can find its tank with both hands.

where did you get the 0.08% missing? from the very beginning it has always been a lot missing.

Was talking with a Thai guy on Saturday. He reckons that no rice was stolen. When it was delivered to the silos the figures were highly inflated to show more than was actually recieved. Fiddling the books does seem a lot easier than physically stealing the stuff.

It amounts to the same thing.. and I agree.. far easier to play with the books.

[Ricardo]

BANGKOK: -- THE Commerce Ministry has dismissed two top officials for alleged involvement in fraudulent "government-to-government" rice deals.

The decision to remove the Foreign Trade Department officials followed a committee ruling by the ministry's Office of the Civil Service Commission, and came after a National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) investigation.

A source from the ministry said the two civil servants had to be dismissed after the NACC found they had committed fraud.

Kudos Ricardo for your comment

Perhaps Ricardo it is hopefully a demonstration that there is a lessening of political influence upon the relevant bodies and at last the tasks they are appointed to carry out can and will be done in a transparent and honest manner.

I share that hope, it is necessary that the system starts to work better here, regardless of who's turn it is to be on top of the sand-pile shouting "Yaa Sucks Boo !" at the other, this week.

I'm reminded of a naval signal, ascribed to the British, "kindly extract digit" ( or 'get-your-fingers-out'), civil-servants need to start doing their jobs, and earning their pay !

[smedly]

I am surprised we have not yet heard from the YS support club, claiming the whole thing is a political stunt cooked up by the junta to remove the popular Shins family from politics.

maybe because the ploy is so obvious that it doesn't need to be pointed out?

I recall the junta counting all the rice last summer and concluding that 0.08% was missing. Now, 9 months later, there is a large amount missing and a committee is going to be set up to investigate?

This junta can find its tank with both hands.

I'd be inclined to look at it a different way -

The protection of senior government officials (MP's) is no longer available and the intimidation wing (redshirt organisation) are powerless, not to mention organisations like the police and the DSI CDI can no longer be bought off to ignore the infarctions

[Thai at Heart]

I am surprised we have not yet heard from the YS support club, claiming the whole thing is a political stunt cooked up by the junta to remove the popular Shins family from politics.

maybe because the ploy is so obvious that it doesn't need to be pointed out?

I recall the junta counting all the rice last summer and concluding that 0.08% was missing. Now, 9 months later, there is a large amount missing and a committee is going to be set up to investigate?

This junta can find its tank with both hands.

where did you get the 0.08% missing? from the very beginning it has always been a lot missing.

Was talking with a Thai guy on Saturday. He reckons that no rice was stolen. When it was delivered to the silos the figures were highly inflated to show more than was actually recieved. Fiddling the books does seem a lot easier than physically stealing the stuff.

Well why does the junta claim there is physically little rice missing then?

[Emster23]

Next up: the generals and admirals who ordered the aircraft carrier, submarines, bomb detectors etc etc? Follow that money trail. I have my guesses as to where much of the cream went....

[Keesters]

I am surprised we have not yet heard from the YS support club, claiming the whole thing is a political stunt cooked up by the junta to remove the popular Shins family from politics.

maybe because the ploy is so obvious that it doesn't need to be pointed out?

I recall the junta counting all the rice last summer and concluding that 0.08% was missing. Now, 9 months later, there is a large amount missing and a committee is going to be set up to investigate?

This junta can find its tank with both hands.

where did you get the 0.08% missing? from the very beginning it has always been a lot missing.

Was talking with a Thai guy on Saturday. He reckons that no rice was stolen. When it was delivered to the silos the figures were highly inflated to show more than was actually recieved. Fiddling the books does seem a lot easier than physically stealing the stuff.

Well why does the junta claim there is physically little rice missing then?

Physically little rice missing? I think you will find they say a lot. Edited February 23, 2015 by draftvader
Cleaning up quotes

[Thai at Heart]

I am surprised we have not yet heard from the YS support club, claiming the whole thing is a political stunt cooked up by the junta to remove the popular Shins family from politics.

maybe because the ploy is so obvious that it doesn't need to be pointed out?

I recall the junta counting all the rice last summer and concluding that 0.08% was missing. Now, 9 months later, there is a large amount missing and a committee is going to be set up to investigate?

This junta can find its tank with both hands.

where did you get the 0.08% missing? from the very beginning it has always been a lot missing.

Was talking with a Thai guy on Saturday. He reckons that no rice was stolen. When it was delivered to the silos the figures were highly inflated to show more than was actually recieved. Fiddling the books does seem a lot easier than physically stealing the stuff.

Well why does the junta claim there is physically little rice missing then?

Physically little rice missing? I think you will find they say a lot.

That is not the case at all

However, the upshot of the inspection in the East's 14 provinces was that only a few flaws were found. There were 429.8 tonnes of rice missing or 0.018 per cent of the 2.32 million tonne total on the lists, the Second Army Area spokesman said yesterday.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Nationwide-rice-audit-ordered-by-Junta-nearly-comp-30239601.html

So that line of fraud is largely closed. The claim is that they managed to get hold of rice at below market price on the basis of export, but sold it domestically.

[robblok]

Was talking with a Thai guy on Saturday. He reckons that no rice was stolen. When it was delivered to the silos the figures were highly inflated to show more than was actually recieved. Fiddling the books does seem a lot easier than physically stealing the stuff.

Well why does the junta claim there is physically little rice missing then?

Because the result of fiddeling the books is that the rice is physically missing.

Suppose you the bill says you delivered 3000 kg but in reality you delivered 1500kg (example). It then looks as if 1500 kg was stolen. It was stolen (paid for 3000 given 1500) only not in the conventional way you are thinking about.

There is a difference between the "paper" stock and the physical stock. So it really does not matter how it was stolen because its theft all the same.

This is standard accounting .. nothing specific to the junta.

[Gunna]

I am surprised we have not yet heard from the YS support club, claiming the whole thing is a political stunt cooked up by the junta to remove the popular Shins family from politics.

maybe because the ploy is so obvious that it doesn't need to be pointed out?

I recall the junta counting all the rice last summer and concluding that 0.08% was missing. Now, 9 months later, there is a large amount missing and a committee is going to be set up to investigate?

This junta can find its tank with both hands.

where did you get the 0.08% missing? from the very beginning it has always been a lot missing.

Was talking with a Thai guy on Saturday. He reckons that no rice was stolen. When it was delivered to the silos the figures were highly inflated to show more than was actually recieved. Fiddling the books does seem a lot easier than physically stealing the stuff.

Well why does the junta claim there is physically little rice missing then?

Physically little rice missing? I think you will find they say a lot.

eg 24 July 2014 Phoenix Agritech, Pathum Thani

" In the book, they declared 147,389 sacks of rice were kept in the warehouses of the company.

But renewed checking found 98,435 sacks were missing.

The Marketing Organisation for Farmers has earlier filed complaint with the police and has charged warehouse operator and contractor of theft.

Earlier Wednesday the permanent secretary of PM’s Office ML Panadda Dissakul has said rice checking at all provinces so far showed more than 5% of rice went missing from warehouses."

If each sack is 50kg that's 4,922 tonnes missing from just one company in one provence. If one truck hauls away 20 tonnes that is 250 truck loads, which need to be stored elsewhere, or on sold to another warehouse as new rice thus receiving about 70M bt.

Better still never actually receive the 98,435 sacks, but do the paperwork and receive 70M bt from the Rice Scam and then charge storage and fumigation fees on the rice that never existed.