Three executives and four firms indicted in fake G-to-G rice deal

[webfact]

Three executives and four firms indicted in fake G-to-G rice deal



BANGKOK: -- Three executives and four companies were today (Wednesday) indicted by the Office of the Attorney-General in the Supreme Court’s criminal division for political office holders for their alleged involvement in corruption in the rice pledging scheme of the Pheu Thai-led government.

Named as defendants in the fake G-to-G rice deal with a Chinese company, Guangdong Stationery & Sporting Goods Corp, are Kitthavee Yasothorn rice mill limited partnership, Kitthavee Yasothorn Rice Company, KMC Inter Rice 2002, Jia Meng Company and their three executives namely Mr Thavee Artsamat, Mr Pakorn Leesirikul and Mrs Prapit Manatunya.

Deputy attorney-general Chutichai Sakhakorn alleged that the seven defendants bought rice from the External Trade Department for export to the Chinese firm but the rice were not actually exported and were sold locally instead.

He said that the OAG had sufficient evidences to prove the seven defendant’ wrongdoings and the damages caused to the state.

He also said that the case against the seven defendants was linked to another case earlier brought by the OAG against former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and 20 associates and many of the witnesses of the two cases are the same group of people. Hence, he asked the court to combine the two cases as one.

Regarding the Chinese firm and six Chinese nationals implicated in the fake rice deal with China, Mr Chutichai said the case was not completed yet. Moreover, there is a problem of notifying them about the charges against them because they are living in China.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/three-executives-and-four-firms-indicted-in-fake-g-to-g-rice-deal

-- Thai PBS 2016-01-14

[smedly]

now that is a biggie.....................seems they are working their way through the money trail and the huge brown stain they have left to follow, I wonder where it will lead to when these guys start to talk, oh and I believe they are HiSo....right

[scorecard]

now that is a biggie.....................seems they are working their way through the money trail and the huge brown stain they have left to follow, I wonder where it will lead to when these guys start to talk, oh and I believe they are HiSo....right

Nice comment.

I hope it leads to the next circle of involvement, example the very complicit transport companies all part of a specific scheme scam, hopefully it will all be revealed soon.

[trogers]

And this rice scam actually benefited the country?

[SABloke]

And this rice scam actually benefited the country?

It did - it benefitted the people greatly (just not the people you think it should' have) Investigating and prosecuting those involved with these illegal activities is purely political.

[Artisi]

And this rice scam actually benefited the country?

It did - it benefitted the people greatly (just not the people you think it should' have) Investigating and prosecuting those involved with these illegal activities is purely political.

Sarcasm right? If not could you please name just one of the people it should have?

[smedly]

I could be wrong but I don't think any rice farmers were holding political office at the time

[craigt3365]

And this rice scam actually benefited the country?

It did - it benefitted the people greatly (just not the people you think it should' have) Investigating and prosecuting those involved with these illegal activities is purely political.

You could be right. But political or not, laws were broken and those involved should face the consequences. Not be let off because some think it's political retribution...right???

[Srikcir]

"there is a problem of notifying them about the charges against them because they are living in China."

That's what chinese do - live in China!

Yes, China is so farrrr away and Thailand has no communication technology, mail service or embassy that can notify the chinese of their charges.

There is an extradiction treaty between Thailand and China. USE IT. Charge the chinese suspects, issue arrest warrants and request extradiction. The chinese government afterall is very big now on stopping corruption in their government. I'm sure they will be anxious to assist Thailand.

[Tatsujin]

And this rice scam actually benefited the country?

There are many that still do believe that. But their definitions of benefiting the country or its people are VERY different from my own. Making the rich (and middlemen) richer and the poorest poorer doesn't sound like success to me.

[pookiki]

I'm confused. The rice was bought and paid for but it wasn't exported. I'm still having trouble understanding the basis of the crime.

[nahkit]

I'm confused. The rice was bought and paid for but it wasn't exported. I'm still having trouble understanding the basis of the crime.

Because the price paid for the export rice was a special, lower, price than the Thai market price. The lower price only applied if the rice was to be exported.

[Eric Loh]

"there is a problem of notifying them about the charges against them because they are living in China."

That's what chinese do - live in China!

Yes, China is so farrrr away and Thailand has no communication technology, mail service or embassy that can notify the chinese of their charges.

There is an extradiction treaty between Thailand and China. USE IT. Charge the chinese suspects, issue arrest warrants and request extradiction. The chinese government afterall is very big now on stopping corruption in their government. I'm sure they will be anxious to assist Thailand.

Does pose a judiciary dilemma whether you can convict anyone when the accomplices of the case are not found and formally charged. This becoming a judiciary farce.

[springheeled jack]

this government are intent on getting as much publicity out of the rice pledging scheme as they possibly can or as they say keep stirring the pot .

[SABloke]

And this rice scam actually benefited the country?

It did - it benefitted the people greatly (just not the people you think it should' have) Investigating and prosecuting those involved with these illegal activities is purely political.

Sarcasm right? If not could you please name just one of the people it should have?

Sarcasm for sure (wrong smiley due to fat fingers and small keys People it should have benefiited = farmers...people it DID benefit = well the execs in this article for a start

[Gunna]

now that is a biggie.....................seems they are working their way through the money trail and the huge brown stain they have left to follow, I wonder where it will lead to when these guys start to talk, oh and I believe they are HiSo....right

And I can't believe the Chairperson of the Rice Scam committee had no knowledge of this even though she didn't (was told from Dubai not to ) attend any meetings to try and distance herself from this theft of state assets.

[smedly]

I'm confused. The rice was bought and paid for but it wasn't exported. I'm still having trouble understanding the basis of the crime.

The money existed but the rice didn't, that is the simplest way I can put it

you also have the rotten rice that came in from cambodia bought and paid for through the rice scam

[phoenixdoglover]

I'm confused. The rice was bought and paid for but it wasn't exported. I'm still having trouble understanding the basis of the crime.

Because the price paid for the export rice was a special, lower, price than the Thai market price. The lower price only applied if the rice was to be exported.

Yes. I was thinking this to be the crime as well. However the news article doesn't say this...so we are left to fill in the gaps.

If this is the case, then "link" to the Commerce Ministry is more than a link. There would have to be collusion and crooked ministry officials. Again, this is implied.

Oh Thailand, when are you going to train better journalists and permit them to do their job?

[craigt3365]

I'm confused. The rice was bought and paid for but it wasn't exported. I'm still having trouble understanding the basis of the crime.

Because the price paid for the export rice was a special, lower, price than the Thai market price. The lower price only applied if the rice was to be exported.

Yes. I was thinking this to be the crime as well. However the news article doesn't say this...so we are left to fill in the gaps.

If this is the case, then "link" to the Commerce Ministry is more than a link. There would have to be collusion and crooked ministry officials. Again, this is implied.

Oh Thailand, when are you going to train better journalists and permit them to do their job?

He also said that the case against the seven defendants was linked to another case earlier brought by the OAG against former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and 20 associates and many of the witnesses of the two cases are the same group of people. Hence, he asked the court to combine the two cases as one.

[dageurreotype]

"there is a problem of notifying them about the charges against them because they are living in China."

That's what chinese do - live in China!

Yes, China is so farrrr away and Thailand has no communication technology, mail service or embassy that can notify the chinese of their charges.

There is an extradiction treaty between Thailand and China. USE IT. Charge the chinese suspects, issue arrest warrants and request extradiction. The chinese government afterall is very big now on stopping corruption in their government. I'm sure they will be anxious to assist Thailand.

Does pose a judiciary dilemma whether you can convict anyone when the accomplices of the case are not found and formally charged. This becoming a judiciary farce.

'Are not actively sought'. There, fixed that for you. As to 'This becoming a judiciary farce', it already IS

[SOTIRIOS]

...........another half-baked roast.....

[elgordo38]

And this rice scam actually benefited the country?

It did - it benefitted the people greatly (just not the people you think it should' have) Investigating and prosecuting those involved with these illegal activities is purely political.

I guess that is the reason for all the political activity. It did not benefit the right people. One needs a program here to identify the right people from the wrong. I guess that is the reason for the different color shirts.

[Ulic]

I still don't understand. Was rice sold and paid for ? Is the crime because it was sold at a loss

and then recycled back into the rice pledging scheme/scam. I really am quite confused as to

what happened and what the crime was.

[craigt3365]

Great description of the rice scam.

http://world.time.com/2013/07/12/how-thailands-botched-rice-scheme-blew-a-big-hole-in-its-economy/

How Thailand’s Botched Rice Scheme Blew a Big Hole in its Economy

The plan was simple: Thailand’s government would buy rice from local farmers at a generous price, some 50 percent above the market rates. It would hold the rice in warehouses, cutting off exports to the rest of the world. The sudden shortage from the world’s heavyweight champion of rice exports would cause a spike in global prices. Then, payday for the government as it swung open the warehouse doors and sold its stockpile to the world at a premium. Farmers win, the government wins, foreign consumers lose, but then they don’t vote in Thai elections, so what do they matter? The plan was a political no-brainer, except for one problem: Thailand’s government underestimated how quickly the market can kick back at any would-be puppeteers.

When he saw Thailand’s pledge to hike up the price of rice, he says he and virtually every global trader knew how to respond. With the click of a mouse, or sometimes a quick phone call, his traders in Dubai could switch their purchases from Thailand to suppliers in India, Pakistan, Myanmar, or Vietnam. “It doesn’t take five minutes,” he says. “There are no government-to-government contracts. There are only business-to-business contracts. I can buy anything from anywhere.” And it was Thailand’s great misfortune that exactly one week after it slashed exports, India lifted its export ban, flooding the market with 10 millions tons of rice. Rather than orchestrate a price hike, Thailand helplessly stood by as global prices sank.

Those involved in this scam should pay the price. And for good reason.

[craigt3365]

I still don't understand. Was rice sold and paid for ? Is the crime because it was sold at a loss

and then recycled back into the rice pledging scheme/scam. I really am quite confused as to

what happened and what the crime was.

Explained pretty well here:

http://thediplomat.com/2014/07/thailands-divisive-rice-scheme/

At best, the GSSG case points to a desperate attempt by the then ruling Pheu Thai government to fabricate evidence that it was selling rice from stockpiles that grew to record proportions as its pledging scheme unraveled, at worst it points to mass corruption, said Warong. Copies of signed checks also supplied to the NACC showed GSSG paid 300 baht per sack of rice rather than the market price of at least 1,500 baht suggesting profits of about 20 billion baht ($629.4 million) could have been made from the phantom deal.

[EnglishJohn]

now that is a biggie.....................seems they are working their way through the money trail and the huge brown stain they have left to follow, I wonder where it will lead to when these guys start to talk, oh and I believe they are HiSo....right

And I can't believe the Chairperson of the Rice Scam committee had no knowledge of this even though she didn't (was told from Dubai not to ) attend any meetings to try and distance herself from this theft of state assets.

She didn't attend any meetings specifically so it could be used as a defence against accusations like this.

Just like that helicopter which conveniently could not fly at night and so she missed the amnesty disgrace.

It's so obvious it's embarrassing. But not as embarrassing as those who try to argue that all charges are just political.

[craigt3365]

now that is a biggie.....................seems they are working their way through the money trail and the huge brown stain they have left to follow, I wonder where it will lead to when these guys start to talk, oh and I believe they are HiSo....right

And I can't believe the Chairperson of the Rice Scam committee had no knowledge of this even though she didn't (was told from Dubai not to ) attend any meetings to try and distance herself from this theft of state assets.

She didn't attend any meetings specifically so it could be used as a defence against accusations like this.

Just like that helicopter which conveniently could not fly at night and so she missed the amnesty disgrace.

It's so obvious it's embarrassing. But not as embarrassing as those who try to argue that all charges are just political.

From that article in the Diplomat:

Democrat Party evidence attempting to link Yingluck to deals it says are fraudulent are based on a video submitted to the NACC in which she claims to have overseen every government-to-government agreement under her rice-pledging scheme as the executive.

If that is true, hard for her to say she didn't know what was going on...LOL

[Redline]

A stationary and sporting goods company in a government rice deal. That wouldn't raise any questions

[slapout]

It appears that the government does not want to bring known criminals who have abscounded back to give info about those involved, amounts involved, other transactions, etc

The old ''we do not know their whereabouts'' and other beg offs are quoted and then forgotten. More of the half grown rats are targeted and the big boys are never mentioned. That is where the real crime is, as another group of gophers are recruited and business continues as normal.

[SABloke]

I'm confused. The rice was bought and paid for but it wasn't exported. I'm still having trouble understanding the basis of the crime.

The money existed but the rice didn't, that is the simplest way I can put it

you also have the rotten rice that came in from cambodia bought and paid for through the rice scam

I also remember that (and I stand to be corrected) G2G could be sold at a loss (less than the 15000) the government paid so these guys were paying less for the rice and then resell it at a huge profit.