The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) has pushed forward with its investigation into allegations of corruption in the rice-pledging scheme by inviting for questioning suspects in five cases, the PACC chief says.
Prayong: Findings slated for August
Prayong Preeyajit, secretary-general of PACC, yesterday said he assigned Lt Col Kornthip Daroj, deputy director of the PACC, in his capacity as chairman of a PACC subcommittee to follow up on the rice-pledging cases relating to the rice that was stored in public warehouses.
Yesterday, the PACC invited for questioning suspects in five cases. The PACC began investigating the cases in January. The investigation committee consists of PACC officers and the police.
"We are also in the process of questioning suspects in another 211 cases," Mr Prayong said.
The massive rice-pledging scheme under former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra was plagued by allegations of corruption and led to huge losses in the state coffers. Piles of rice in government warehouses degraded and spoiled over time.
Critics said the majority of farmers did not benefit from the scheme because it was being abused by the middlemen who were getting help from officers.
Mr Prayong said that in August this year, the subcommittee will present its findings from the investigations to the PACC committee to establish the offences.
If the PACC committee finds that the offences are of a criminal nature, the PACC will send its findings to prosecutors to file a case with the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases or others as appropriate, he said.
He said supervisors of offending officers will determine the disciplinary action they see fit for their subordinates.
The PACC also informed the Public Warehouse Organisation and Marketing Organisation for Farmers to take action against individual officers thought to have been involved in abusing the rice-pledging scheme.
According to the investigations so far, the PACC has received findings from the storage of rice in warehouses in 36 provinces.
The PACC committee decided to look into 990 cases with a combined value of damages worth 147.259 billion baht covering 41.55 million tonnes. A total of 139 officers were accused of being involved in the abuse.
Of the total, 720 cases were related to irregularities inside the Public Warehouse Organisation with total damage of 119.985 billion baht. A total of 39.1 million tonnes of rice was damaged and 93 Public Warehouse Organisation officers were accused of being involved in the scandals.
In addition, a total of 270 cases were related to the Marketing Organisation for Farmers with a total damage of 27.27 billion baht and 2.44 million tonnes of damaged rice.
