NACC to probe rice-deal charges

The national anti-graft agency yesterday resolved to investigate the opposition’s allegations of corruption against Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and of malfeasance against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Defence Minister ACM Sukampol Suwannathat.

Two subcommittees were set up yesterday to separately probe the allegations, which were included in a petition submitted by a group of Democrat MPs, according to Klanarong Chantik, spokesman for the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

One of the panels will look into the allegation that the commerce minister condoned corruption in an allegedly fraudulent deal to sell rice to the Chinese government. The other subcommittee will probe the allegation that the defence minister and the prime minister failed to abide by the law in the recent appointment of the permanent secretary for defence.

In last week’s censure debate against the PM and three other Cabinet members, opposition Democrat MPs produced video clips, photos and other pieces of evidence to prove their claim that the government’s controversial rice price-pledging project was abused to benefit certain people allegedly connected to the government. 

Democrat MP Warong Dechgitvigrom alleged during the censure debate that Thailand’s supposed government-to-government deal to sell rice to China did not exist. He said that in fact rice was bought from government stock at market price, to be resold to the government project at subsidised price.

The Democrats also produced an audio recording to prove their claim that the defence minister interfered with the appointment of the permanent secretary. In the recording the minister apparently informs a meeting of top military commanders of his preferred candidate, although the law states that the choice must be made collectively by a council of armed forces chiefs. 

Klanarong said yesterday that the probe into the rice scheme would initially focus on Boonsong only, and would be widened if other people were found to be involved.

“Based on the evidence we have, the investigation now will only cover the [commerce] minister. But if the investigation leads to more people, we will expand the scope of investigation,” said Klanarong, who is also a commissioner of the NACC.

An NACC source said the evidence so far does not point to Yingluck in her capacity as head of government. “With the existing evidence, it is not possible to prove that there were irregularities involving the rice project because the prime minister abetted it or was negligent,” the source said.

The NACC yesterday also instructed its staff to gather information about the opposition’s other allegations, such as the defence minister’s “unfair” retroactive dismissal of opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva from the Army more than 20 years after his departure, according to the spokesman. He added that the findings would be reported to the anti-graft commissioners at their next meeting.

In a related development, Warong yesterday submitted his written request that the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) investigate possible money laundering involving the allegedly fraudulent rice-sale deal linked to certain individuals and businesses.

AMLO deputy secretary-general Suwanee Sawangphol, who received Warong’s petition, said the agency would strictly follow the law in dealing with the matter, adding that she did not expect political interference into the AMLO probe.