Additional evidence is still needed to round out the case before a decision can be made on the indictment of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra over the loss-ridden rice-pledging scheme, the attorney general has ruled.
Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, centre, samples the rice at a bagged rice company in 2013 to boost public confidence in packed rice amid concerns that chemicals were being used to preserve the huge government stockpile of rice. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Surasak Trirattrakul, director-general of the Office of the Attorney-General's litigation department, and Kosolwat Inthujanyong, deputy OAG spokesman, announced the decision at a press conference.
They said attorney-general Trakul Winitnaiyapak had accepted the finding of an OAG working group that the case in its present form was not complete.
Mr Surasak said the attorney-general ruled more evidence was needed from the NACC and some more people still needed to be questioned about the government-to-government (G2G) rice trades before a decision could be made on whether there should be an indictment.
Mr Kosolwat said there was conflicting evidence about whether G2G rice deals really happened. Some witnesses had insisted G2G rice deals were made, but other witnesses denied this.
Information on G2G rice deals from the NACC was still incomplete, Mr Kosolwat said.
Representatives of the NACC and the OAG would this month discuss what further inquiries were needed. The matter should become clearer in January, as only a few more witnesses had yet to be questioned, Mr Kosolwat said.
The NACC accused Ms Yingluck in her past capacity as the ex-officio chair of the National Rice Policy Committee of dereliction of duty and abuse of authority for failing to halt or review her government's loss-ridden rice-pledging scheme, and the alleged corruption in it.
It also proposed impeachment and her retroactive removal from the prime minister's position.
The Finance Ministry has estimated the country faced a total loss of 682 billion baht from implementing rice-subsidy schemes over the past 10 years, of which 518 billion baht occurred under the Yingluck government while it was in office from 2011 to 2013.
Her government bought rice from growers at prices up to 40% higher than market prices, resulting in a major slump in exports as Thai rice priced itself out of the market.
Much or the previous government's excessive stocks of rice that could not be sold have degenerated because of poor storage, posing quality problems for sellers and buyers.