Thai rice deals: Boonsong faces trial on June 29

[webfact]

Boonsong faces trial on June 29
Kesinee Taengkhieo
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Supreme Court has pencilled in June 29 to commence the first trial in the case involving former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and 20 others in relation to alleged corruption in government-to-government rice deals under the Yingluck government's controversial rice-pledging scheme.

All nine judges who were selected by the Supreme Court last month to read the case on April 9 agreed unanimously to accept it for trial after the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG), as the prosecutor, filed a suit against Boonsong and the 20 others, said Thanarerk Nitisenee, president of the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.

The panel of judges had to consider if the case was within the jurisdiction of the court and whether to accept it if it were, he said.

The judges deemed the evidence was strong enough to bring the matter to trial, he said.

Thanarerk added that the first testimony in the trial was scheduled for 9.30am on June 29 and all the defendants would have to show up at court on that day.

He said the panel of judges, which included him, had agreed to assign him to be the case holder.

He said the trial would depend on evidence and be fair for all parties.

A source said that after the court accepted the case, none of the defendants petitioned for bail.

In relation to the case, the OAG submitted a National Anti-Corruption Agency writ at the court, plus 205 boxes of documents.

The OAG accused the 21 defendants of conspiring to commit offences as well as commit and support malfeasance and corruption as defined by the Offences Relating to the Submission of Bids to State Agencies Act 1999, the Criminal Code, and the Organic Law on Anti-Corruption Act.

Some of these offences carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of up to Bt35.2 billion.

The lawsuit was filed against three political office holders: Boonsong, former deputy commerce minister Poom Sarapol and ex-secretary to the commerce minister Major Weerawut Watchanaphukka.

It also named three civil servants: former Foreign Trade deputy head Tikhumporn Natvaratat, former rice stock director Akarapong Dipavajra, and former International Department chief Manas Sroyploy.

Private sector individuals named among the 21 accused include executives and directors of Siam Indica, a major rice-trading company.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Boonsong-faces-trial-on-June-29-30258305.html


-- The Nation 2015-04-20

[thesetat2013]

Should this court find them guilty then it would certainly be used against YL in her cases. Shit normally rolls downhill but in this instance all of the corruption and lies and shady deals will eventually go up to the top where the ultimate responsibility lies.

[rametindallas]

Pretty open and shut case when the rice was sold to unqualified/unauthorized, pretend Chinese buyers at below market price (and much below what the Yingluck government paid for it), and sold back to a Thai company at a nice markup; all without the rice ever leaving the warehouse.

They should be commended for saving on transportation costs. /sarcasm

Did former PM Yingluck know? Most likely not so she could then claim ignorance. Though in her case, that is a given.

At the Government to Government level of transaction and, as Chair of the Rice Support Scheme, she should have know the details of the sale but, since she was just Thaksin's nominee, Thaksin probably told her to go shopping instead.

I expect political appointees to be corrupt but those Civil Service members who facilitated this fraud should be made examples of as a warning that the Civil Service must not involve itself in the Politician-of-the-day's scams.

Still, almost no possibility of recovering the ill-gotten gains from this theft of the taxpayer's money.

Edited April 19, 2015 by rametindallas

[Thai at Heart]

So, as I said elsewhere, the Foreign trade dept and customs had to be in on it too.