Yingluck, 4 others face assets probe

Yingluck, 4 others face assets probe

Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and four of her ex-ministers involved in the controversial rice-pledging scheme are to have their assets scrutinized by the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

The scheme has been plagued with allegations of corruption - missing stockpiles, substandard produce and inferior grains mixed in with higher quality rice - to take advantage of the abnormally high pledging price offered by the Yingluck government. Complaints were also raised that lower standard rice from neighbouring countries was added to the government's burgeoning stockpiles.

Agricultural and commerce experts suggest the amount of money lost in the scheme is as high as 700 billion baht.

A woman checks a rice stockpile kept in a warehouse in Si Prachan district in Suphan Buri. The warehouse was inspected by then-caretaker deputy commerce minister Yanyong Puangraj on Feb 14. (Photo by Thiti Wannamontha)

NACC deputy secretary-general Voravit Sukboon said a meeting of the agency on Thursday approved the investigation into the assets and liabilities of Ms Yingluck, former commerce ministers Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan and Boonsong Teriyapirom, and former deputy commerce ministers Yanyong Phuangrach and Phum Sarapol. 

Narong Ratha-amarit, an NACC member, was appointed to head the scrutiny sub-committee which will investigate whether any of the five had accumulated unusual wealth from their handling of the rice-pledging scheme.

The subcommittee would coordinate with a subcommittee already investigating corruption in connection with the rice scheme, Mr Vorarit said.

The former members of the Yingluck administration left their ministerial posts in two groups on May 7 and May 22. They are required by law to declare their assets and liabilities to the NACC by June 5 and June 20 respectively.

The declared assets and liabilities were expected to be revealed to the public early next month, Mr Voravit said.

The agency, meanwhile, had no legal authority to examine the assets and liabilities of members of the military junta’s National Council for Peace and Order, said Mr Voravit, because the law did not require them to declare their assets to the NACC, nor gave power to the agency to do so. 

He was responding to the calls widely posted online by anti-coup groups. 

The anti-graft agency has asked the NCPO to set up a committee and a sub-committee to carry out a nationwide rice stock inspection. NCPO secretary-general Gen Udomdej Seetabutr said he had instructed commanders of  the four military regions to prepare manpower for the rice inspection once the committees are established.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (12)