Yingluck's huge fine is fair, PM says

26 กันยายน 2559

PM Prayut denies govt searching for vengeance in rushing to impose 35.7 billion-baht fine for failed rice pledging scheme on former PM Yingluck Shinawatra.

CORRUPTION

PM says Yingluck's hefty fine is fair

Ex-PM says Prayut must act without bias
26/09/2016
Wassana Nanuam & Aekarach Sattaburuth

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has denied the government was searching for vengeance in rushing to impose a 35.7 billion-baht fine on former premier Yingluck Shinawatra.

The fine is payment for losses incurred in the failed rice pledging scheme during her administration.

YINGLUCK ORDERED TO PAY 35.7 BILLION BAHT COMPENSATION

On Saturday, the committee pursuing civil liabilities against wrongdoers in the state sector announced Ms Yingluck was liable to pay compensation of 35.7 billion baht.

The compensation is for her role in the scheme that led to huge losses during the 2013-14 rice crop.

The panel did not find her responsible for the losses in the previous years of 2011-12.

YINGLUCK'S TOTAL ASSETS 579 MILLION BAHT

In a statement declared to the NACC in May, 2015, a year after she left office, Ms Yingluck's total assets were worth 579 million baht.

Ms Yingluck as prime minister was the highest authority overseeing the national rice policy (rice pledging scheme).

The panel, chaired by Manas Jamveha, director-general of the Comptroller-General's Department, said the 2013-14 rice crop incurred losses of 180 billion baht.

STATUE OF LIMITATIONS EXPIRES FEBRUARY NEXT YEAR

Gen Prayut said Sunday the statute of limitations in the compensation case expires in February next year, and said he gave no instructions to any agency to rush the order.

"We didn't bully anyone, nor did we single out anyone."

"It is a duty [to proceed with the compensation order] because if the government didn't do it, we would be held to account for dereliction of duty," Gen Prayut said on his return from New York where he attended the United Nations General Assembly last week.

"It's what is written in the law and we must comply with it," he said.

CIVIL LIABILITIES & IMPEACHMENT CASES

The 1996 law governing civil liabilities in the state sector being applied in the Yingluck case, has been applied to more than 5,000 cases so far.

She will have the right to appeal to the Administrative Court.

If the court upholds the order, however, the Legal Execution Department (LED) will move to seize her assets.

Ms Yingluck is also being tried in the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office-Holders and faced impeachment last year in the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) over her alleged dereliction of duty regarding the rice-pledging scheme policy.

YINGLUCK FIGHTS BACK ON FACEBOOK

In her Facebook, Ms Yingluck hit back at the prime minister, asking Gen Prayut to treat her the same way he has treated his brother Gen Preecha, who is currently under fire over his son's business.

"[In] the same way you wish to ensure justice and protect your brother, the law must be exercised without bias against my side," she said.

Ms Yingluck was referring to the 3rd Army Region's construction projects awarded to a bidding company owned by the son of defence permanent secretary Preecha Chan-o-cha, who is Gen Prayut's younger brother.

Yingluck's lawyer wrote on Facebook that " justice" was at play.

COMMITTEE FINDINGS

Jirachai Moonthongroy, deputy permanent secretary at the Prime Minister's Office chaired the probe into Ms Yingluck's role in the rice pledging scheme losses.

The Jirachai probe had resolved Ms Yingluck was responsible for losses across four rice crops, from 2011 to 2014, finding she had acknowledged irregularities in the rice pledging scheme from the beginning but did nothing to stop them.

The probe determined Ms Yingluck will have to be fined 286.6 billion baht in compensation.

The probe findings were presented to the Manas committee which cut Ms Yingluck's liabilities to 35.7 billion baht.

Mr Manas said that after consulting the Auditor-General and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), which investigated irregularities in the case, his committee did not find Ms Yingluck responsible for the losses in the 2011-12 crop.