The National Legislative Assembly on April 23 will hear opening statements in impeachment hearings for three former top Commerce Ministry officials over their alleged involvement in corrupt internal government rice deals.
Former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and former deputy commerce minister Poom Sarapol stand, along with Manas Soiploy, former director-general of the Department of Foreign Trade, of arranging the unscrupulous government-to-government sales while serving in Yingluck Shinawatra government.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission charged them with allowing two Chinese companies unauthorised by the Chinese government to seal G2G contracts to buy Thai rice without having to bid.
They allegedly violated the Criminal Code, the Public Competitive Bidding Act and the Anti-Corruption Act. The accused did not attend the NLA meeting on Thursday, but a representative of the NACC did.
The NLA rejected Mr Manas's request to present items of additional evidence for his defence. They consist of proposals to prevent corruption in rice intervention; laws on government pension, civil service regulations, the election of local administrators and corruption suppression; a PM's Office's written request for information on government rice releases; a PM's Office's letter on demands for government rice; and letters of Guangdong Stationery & Sporting Goods Import & Export Corp on its price quotation and demand for government rice.
Mr Boonsong, Mr Poom and Mr Manas are among the 21 people public prosecutors are seeking life sentences and 35 billion baht in fines for before the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.
According to prosecutors, Guangdong Stationery & Sporting Goods Import & Export Corp, and Hainan Grain & Oil Industrial Trading Co were given rights to buy pledged rice without competition from other bidders. They then sold the paddy, which they purchased at prices lower than what the Yingluck government bought it for, to Thailand's domestic rice traders to resell. The alleged offences occurred between Sept 8, 2011 and Feb 22, 2013.