The Commerce Ministry on Monday asked police to prosecute 77 parties for causing B65bn damage to the state through theft, embezzlement and fraud connected to the previous government’s rice-pledging scheme.
Chutima Bunyapraphasara, permanent secretary for commerce, files a fraud complaint with Pol Col Nos Sawetlek, deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division, on Monday. (Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard)
Chutima Bunyapraphasara, permanent secretary for commerce, filed the complaint with Pol Col Nos Sawetlek, deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division. She sought legal actions against numerous contract partners in the rice-pledging programme run by the past Yingluck Shinawatra government.
Five parties are accused of switching out pledged rice. They are in five provinces and ten warehouses are involved. Thirteen parties operating 94 warehouses in 22 provinces are accused of allowing pledged rice to rot. Fifty-nine parties operating 652 warehouses in 51 provinces are accused of warehousing substandard rice instead of standard-quality grain.
The combined amount of rice stood at about 3.6 million tonnes and damage to the state is estimated at about 65 billion baht.
Miss Chutima said that if police found any government officials involved in the wrongdoings, their cases would be sent to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.