After much-publicised reluctance, Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn on Monday signed an order demanding 20 billion baht in compensation from former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and five ex-ministerial officials for false government-to-government (G2G) rice deals.
Two people signed the order but neither of them did it in their capacities. Mrs Apiradi signed it on behalf of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha while commerce permanent secretary Chutima Bunyapraphasara signed it on Mrs Apiradi's behalf.
In April, Gen Prayut ordered the commerce minister to sign the order seeking civil liability from the six defendants. Mrs Apiradi was apparently reluctant to sign the order, saying she was not a politician, even though Gen Prayut, as the junta's chief, had earlier invoked Section 44 of the interim charter to grant immunity from future lawsuits to all officials handling the rice-pledging cases.
Ms Chutima, who will retire at the end of this month, said she would not sign it unless the minister authorised her to do so and her successor, Wiboonlasana Ruamraksa, was equally reluctant to take the move.
Once inked, the order would then be sent to Mr Boonsong, former deputy commerce minister Poom Sarapol; former secretary to the commerce minister Weerawut Wajanaphukka, former director-general of the Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) Manas Soiploy, his then-deputy Tikhumporn Natvaratat and the DFT's former director of foreign rice trade Akharapong Dipavajra.
The six must reply in 30 days. Failing that, they will be given a warning and another 15 days. Afterwards, the Legal Execution Department would begin seizing their assets, Mrs Apiradi said.
She said she had studied legal aspects of the case well before the signing on Monday.
Mr Boonsong was ordered to pay 1.77 billion baht in compensation, Mr Poom 2.3 billion baht, and the other four 4 billion baht each.
Mr Boonsong, the commerce minister in the Yingluck Shinawatra government, along with 20 other individuals and companies already are being tried in the Supreme Court over the G2G rice deals with two Chinese trading companies: Guangdong Stationery and Sporting Goods Import and Export, and Hainan Grain and Oil Industrial Trading Co.
The suit was filed after the National Anti-Corruption Commission found the foreign companies were not authorised by Beijing to make the deals.
It was reported that instead some local traders bought farmer-pledged rice from the government at cheap prices and made profits by reselling it at market prices.