Thai govt instructs state agencies to hasten civil suits in rice-pledging scandal

[webfact]

Govt instructs state agencies to hasten civil suits in rice-pledging scandal

By The Nation

 

 

The government has instructed the relevant state agencies to expedite civil lawsuits seeking damages from their private contractors accused of theft and embezzlement in connection with the rice-pledging scandal.
 

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam disclosed on Monday that he had issued the order to the Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) and the Marketing Organisation for Farmers (MOF), before the statute of limitations on the cases expired between July next year and October next year.

 

“We [the government] are worried about the statute of limitations. Public prosecutors told us that they would need to deal with a lot of cases, so they don’t want to get a big workload coming at once,” he explained.

 

He has ordered the two state agencies to submit their cases to public prosecutors within December this year, so that they would have sufficient time for filing lawsuits against those accused.

 

Wissanu, who is in charge of the government’s legal affairs, said prosecutors would need about six months to look into each case in detail before deciding whether to sue any of the accused.

 

However, he did not confirm an estimated loss of Bt100 billion to the government in the event of the statute of limitations expiring in these cases.

 

The deputy PM also maintained that so far, none of the cases had seen its statute of limitations expire.

 

Many warehouse owners and rice-stock surveyors are accused of involvement in irregularities stemming from the previous government’s corruption-plagued rice-pledging scheme, which was implemented between 2011 and 2014. 

 

Rice bought from farmers under the project and stored at different warehouses disappeared, and people involved face criminal charges of theft and embezzlement. 

 

The PWO and MOF are also planning more than 800 civil cases against them, seeking damages that have yet to be determined in exact amounts by the agencies.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30350193

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-17

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Public prosecutors told us that they would need to deal with a lot of cases, so they don’t want to get a big workload coming at once,

I think they just want summer homes, like the judges...

[yellowboat]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The deputy PM also maintained that so far, none of the cases had seen its statute of limitations expire.

Perhaps leave the proceedings to an elected government then.   One that is not tainted with the word "coup de tat". 

[seajae]

have to wonder why it was not followed through quicker so that the statute of limitations was not a concern, these people ripped off the country and need to be prosecuted for it. Maybe they want more retirement funds donated before they are removed from office and this is one way of doing it, considering the rice scandal was so high on their original agenda it should have been pushed through a lot sooner, we have to ask why it wasnt

[scorecard]

21 minutes ago, seajae said:

have to wonder why it was not followed through quicker so that the statute of limitations was not a concern, these people ripped off the country and need to be prosecuted for it. Maybe they want more retirement funds donated before they are removed from office and this is one way of doing it, considering the rice scandal was so high on their original agenda it should have been pushed through a lot sooner, we have to ask why it wasnt

Or maybe the errant officials need more time to negotiate their escape to another country.

 

 

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Wissanu, who is in charge of the government’s legal affairs

I constantly cringe at the hypocrisy whenever Wissanu speaks about the rule of law.

He is only a DPM for legal affairs because of a military overthrow of an elected government in violation of both penal codes and the constitution. Any of his concerns about alleged criminal activity lacks legitimacy until he examines his own role in crimes against the Thai people.

[Baerboxer]

4 hours ago, Srikcir said:

I constantly cringe at the hypocrisy whenever Wissanu speaks about the rule of law.

He is only a DPM for legal affairs because of a military overthrow of an elected government in violation of both penal codes and the constitution. Any of his concerns about alleged criminal activity lacks legitimacy until he examines his own role in crimes against the Thai people.

 

Yabba yabba yabba,

 

 

[Media1]

6 hours ago, Srikcir said:

I constantly cringe at the hypocrisy whenever Wissanu speaks about the rule of law.

He is only a DPM for legal affairs because of a military overthrow of an elected government in violation of both penal codes and the constitution. Any of his concerns about alleged criminal activity lacks legitimacy until he examines his own role in crimes against the Thai people.

I agree 100 % jokers 

[scorecard]

6 hours ago, Srikcir said:

I constantly cringe at the hypocrisy whenever Wissanu speaks about the rule of law.

He is only a DPM for legal affairs because of a military overthrow of an elected government in violation of both penal codes and the constitution. Any of his concerns about alleged criminal activity lacks legitimacy until he examines his own role in crimes against the Thai people.

 Well there's similar precedents with the paymaster trying to influence judges with millions in cash in donut boxes. 

 

And his hypocrisy when his lawyers went to jail for it, did he try to protect his lawyer from jail? No just got on with shopping in Paris.

 

Ultimately, historically the judicial process stinks no matter who is in power here.

 

 

[Media1]

4 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 Well there's similar precedents with the paymaster trying to influence judges with millions in cash in donut boxes. 

 

And his hypocrisy when his lawyers went to jail for it, did he try to protect his lawyer from jail? No just got on with shopping in Paris.

 

Ultimately, historically the judicial process stinks no matter who is in power here.

 

 

They all need to be removed. There old and were schooled here. Replace them with young western schooled Thais 

[chama]

Excellent!! Let's get this in the news so we can discredit some of the other parties the junta will be competing with for votes in the phantom election....just incase they are forced to hold it. Smart move.

[Srikcir]

18 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Yabba yabba yabba,

 

 

It's somewhat a comfort to see that's all that can be said in rebuttal.

Defense of the junta regime as a bastion of justice has become a sharpening stone worn dull.