Prosecutors to seek review of two acquittals in rice-pledging case
PUBLIC PROSECUTORS will soon finalise key legal points in an effort to seek a review of court verdicts on two criminal cases concerning the previous government’s rice-pledging scheme and fake government-to-government rice export deals.
Kitinan Thatpramook, director-general in charge of the cases, said there would be meetings early this month to proceed with plans to appeal the cases after the Supreme Court acquitted some private-sector and rice-miller defendants in the case of the government deals.
Acquittals would affect related civil liability lawsuits filed by the government in this case, Kitinan added.
Former commerce minister Boongsong Teriyapirom and former deputy commerce minister Phumi Saraphol were respectively sentenced to 42-year and 36-year jail terms for their roles in implementing fake contracts in connection with the rice-pledging scheme.
Former premier Yingluck Shinawatra was sentenced to a five-year jail term for negligence of official duties while overseeing the rice-pledging scheme, resulting in massive financial damages to the state. Yingluck fled the country before her verdict was read.
Regarding the fake government-to-government export contracts, the government wanted to seek compensation from private-sector executives and rice millers found to have conspired with other parties to cause the damages.
Boonsong and Phumi, who are both now in prison serving lengthy terms, have also sought a review of the court verdicts.