Almost 30 state officials, politicians and individuals from the private sector will be investigated for alleged involvement in the Yingluck Shinawatra administration's rice-pledging scheme, says a Finance Ministry source.
Compensation may be sought against them if they are found guilty of deliberate or serious reckless acts as stipulated in the Act on Liability for Wrongful Acts of Officials, and their acts aimed at illegally taking advantage for their own and others' benefits as stated in the Criminal Code's Section 1.
If the examining panel finds no grounds of corruption, the state officials need not take responsibility for financial damages, the source said.
The case will mark the first time that state officers could face damage claims from carrying out government policy, the source said.
This would cause a climate of fear among state officials in executing the policies of future governments, the source said.
The Yingluck government's rice-pledging scheme, which set the price pledged to farmers at 40-50% higher than the market price, caused an estimated 536 billion baht in losses, while the administration stockpiled 17.5 million tonnes of pledged rice.
The Office of the Attorney-General last month indicted Ms Yingluck for alleged dereliction of duty related to the losses incurred and corruption in the scheme.
Two investigation panels will be established. One is attached to the Finance Ministry, which will carry out the probe related to Ms Yingluck, and the other panel, overseen by the Commerce Ministry, will investigate the case linked to former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom.
The two panels will base their probes on the allegations filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
The two committees could be set up within 10 days and the investigation would be wrapped up by Sept 1.
The findings will be sent to another committee, which will decide on compensation.
However, another source said that state officials had to act cautiously in proceeding with the rice-pledging policy as the project had been warned twice by the anti-graft commission, and frequently by academics.
If any of the state officials have evidence that they were opposed to the project after learning that it had problems, they can submit it for deliberation.
Legal action against the state officials will be taken in three ways — criminal charges if corruption or neglect of duties have been found, sacking as a disciplinary punishment, and demand for compensation.