Rice scheme losses probed

Rice scheme losses probed

The Comptroller-General's Department plans to set up a committee to discuss the financial losses caused by the rice-pledging scheme.

Director-general Manus Chamveha said his department was required by Prime Minister's Office regulations to set up a committee to investigate whether there was wrongdoing that required compensating the loss to the state and how much the figure should be.

Documents gathered about the scheme comprise more than 500,000 pages.

"There are many cases involved in the rice-pledging scheme, so investigation should be done on a case-by-case basis," Mr Manus said.

For instance, some cases involve ousted prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who stands accused of dereliction of duty for failing to stop losses and corruption in the rice scheme, causing a financial loss to the state.

Former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom faces charges of alleged corruption in rice sales and lost rice from state stocks.

"A criminal lawsuit under anti-corruption laws can be done together with a civil suit demanding compensation from the wrongdoers," Mr Manus said.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission has submitted a letter to the Finance Ministry requesting it seek compensation from those causing financial losses to the state.

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