Three executives and four companies were today (Wednesday) indicted by the Office of the Attorney-General in the Supreme Court’s criminal division for political office holders for their alleged involvement in corruption in the rice pledging scheme of the Pheu Thai-led government.
Named as defendants in the fake G-to-G rice deal with a Chinese company, Guangdong Stationery & Sporting Goods Corp, are Kitthavee Yasothorn rice mill limited partnership, Kitthavee Yasothorn Rice Company, KMC Inter Rice 2002, Jia Meng Company and their three executives namely Mr Thavee Artsamat, Mr Pakorn Leesirikul and Mrs Prapit Manatunya.
Deputy attorney-general Chutichai Sakhakorn alleged that the seven defendants bought rice from the External Trade Department for export to the Chinese firm but the rice were not actually exported and were sold locally instead.
He said that the OAG had sufficient evidences to prove the seven defendant’ wrongdoings and the damages caused to the state.
He also said that the case against the seven defendants was linked to another case earlier brought by the OAG against former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and 20 associates and many of the witnesses of the two cases are the same group of people. Hence, he asked the court to combine the two cases as one.
Regarding the Chinese firm and six Chinese nationals implicated in the fake rice deal with China, Mr Chutichai said the case was not completed yet. Moreover, there is a problem of notifying them about the charges against them because they are living in China.