A committee on civil liability is expected to rule this week whether to seek compensation from former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra for losses incurred by her government's rice-pledging scheme, said Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam.
Mr Wissanu said the committee's decision will be forwarded to the Finance Ministry and then the prime minister who will issue an administrative order if she is held liable to pay compensation to the state.
Ms Yingluck faces a hefty fine of 286.6 billion baht for losses in the rice-pledging scheme following the latest evaluation by a government panel.
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Mr Wissanu said the ex-premier can file a lawsuit with the Administrative Court against the order and ask the court to issue an injunction as the case is being heard. But if she decides not to contest the administrative order, the Legal Execution Department (LED) will enforce the order.
His remark was intended to clarify an order by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) chief that grants state officials immunity from future lawsuits over their handling of stockpiles of pledged tapioca and maize, and compensation demands for losses incurred by the programmes.
Under the order, the LED can enforce administrative or court orders issued to demand redress for losses from apioca and maize programmes as well as rice pledged from the 2005-2006 to 2013-2014 harvesting seasons.
On civil liability fines against former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom over bogus government-to-government (G2G) rice deals, Mr Wissanu said the issue is being processed and would be concluded soon.
He said the fine against Mr Boonsong is not as high as the one faced by Ms Yingluck and the case, unlike Ms Yingluck's, falls under the responsibility of the Commerce Ministry.
According to the panel evaluating the losses, the former commerce minister and five former key ministry officials are liable to pay 18.7 billion baht in compensation for the fake G2G rice deals.
Meanwhile, LED director-general Ruenruedee Suwanmongkol said Thursday that the civil liability law allows those slapped with administrative orders to challenge them in the Administrative Court.
"The order is to allow the LED officials to help the Commerce Ministry seize assets. But it will take some time before that happens," she said.
Former Democrat MP for Phitsanulok Warong Dejkitvikrom told the Bangkok Post that five steps are involved in demanding compensation from Ms Yingluck, Mr Boonsong and his associates under the 1996 civil liability law, with Ms Yingluck's case still at the second step while Mr Boonsong's is at the third.
He said the NCPO's order is to complete the civil liability process, which is just about half way through.