The joint committee of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) has agreed to press a criminal charge against former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra in relation to the rice-pledging scheme.
On Tuesday, the NACC also recommended former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom, his ex-deputy Poom Sarapol and 19 others be indicted for graft for their roles in government-to-government (G-to-G) rice sales.
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NACC secretary-general Sansern Poljeak said the joint panel of the NACC and the OAG Tuesday completed their discussions over Ms Yingluck's alleged dereliction of duty in overseeing the controversial rice scheme and causing massive damage to the state following the Criminal Code's Section 157.
While she is still a long way from a jail cell, Ms Yingluck probably will be impeached by parliament on Friday, then charged with crimes that could net her 10 years in prison.
Mr Sansern said the panel will ask the Attorney-General to indict Ms Yingluck with the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions, which should proceed within days.
If found guilty, Ms Yingluck could face a maximum jail term of 10 years.
Earlier, the OAG had demanded the NACC question more witnesses and gather more evidence before it made a decision on indicting Ms Yingluck.
Meanwhile, NACC member Vicha Mahakhun told a press conference that Mr Boonsong, Mr Poom and 19 others, including high-level Commerce Ministry officials and private sectors, would be charged with colluding to benefit two Chinese firms which were not authorised by the Chinese government to undertake G-to-G deals.
The private sector parties include executives and directors of Siam Indica, a major rice trading company.
The two companies - Guangdong Stationery & Sporting Goods Import & Export Corp and Hainan Grain & Oil Industrial Trading Co - were given the rights to buy rice under the pledging scheme without having to face competition from other bidders, Mr Vicha said.
They then sold the paddy, which they bought at prices lower than the pledging price, to Thailand's domestic rice traders and to Siam Indica to resell, Mr Vicha said.
- Earlier report: NACC votes to indict Boonsong
These practices caused serious damage to the country, he said.
The NACC has agreed that the actions of the 21 accused violated the Criminal Code, the law on state price bidding offences and the National Anti-Corruption Act, Mr Vicha said.
The anti-graft body will forward the case to the Office of the Attorney-General to indict the 21 accused in court, Mr Vicha said.
It will also send recommendations to state officials' superiors accused in the case to consider disciplinary action, said Mr Vicha, who leads an NACC subcommittee which has been investigating the G-to-G rice deals.
Mr Vicha said the NACC has also recommended that the Finance Ministry and Commerce Ministry's Foreign Trade Department demand compensation for the damages from all individuals and companies accused of involvement.
The NACC has also asked the Revenue Department and the Finance Ministry to examine the financial transactions and tax payments of all those accused and those who paid cashier's cheques to the Foreign Trade Department.
He said the NACC will continue its investigation into more than 100 rice trading companies suspected of being involved.
The Chinese companies the NACC investigated sold rice to domestic companies, and all were complicit in the wrongdoing, Mr Vicha said.
Those firms include Haikou Liangmao Cereals and Oils Trading Co, which purchased 3 million tonnes of rice; Haikou Liangyunlai Cereals and Oils Trading Co, which bought 2 million tonnes of rice; Hainan Province Land Reclamation Industrial Development, which bought 4 million tonnes of rice; and Hainan Land Reclamation Commerce and Trade Group Co, which purchased 5 million tonnes of rice.
The deals were proposed by Pranee Siriphand, then director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, to former commerce minister Boonsong, who also chaired the sub-committee on the release of rice stocks, for approval, according to Mr Vicha.
The rice scheme losses are likely to amount to more than 600 billion baht, he said.