The Commerce Ministry is racing against time to file civil and criminal lawsuits against 15 private parties for losses incurred in fake government-to-government (G-to-G) deals under Yingluck Shinawatra's rice-pledging scheme.
The ministry has until the end of the month to file the civil lawsuits otherwise the statute of limitations on the case will come into effect, Chutima Bunyapraphasara, permanent secretary for commerce, said yesterday.
The ministry's legal officials recommended filing both criminal and civil suits at the same time since this would bolster the government's case, she said.
The ministry has written to the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) instructing it to pursue both criminal and civil lawsuits against the private parties, she said.
The civil suit against the 15 private parties has a one-year statute of limitations. It started from the date the ministry identified the rice deal transgressions and those involved. The year is up at the end of the month.
"Now we have to speed up the process of filing lawsuits," said Ms Chutima.
"The Commerce Ministry has agreed to lodge the criminal charges at the same time since our legal advisers believe it will bolster the civil case."
Regarding politicians and state officials suspected of involvement in the fake rice deals, the statute of limitations in their civil cases expires in February next year, Ms Chutima said.
Former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and 20 other individuals and firms face a Supreme Court trial over their alleged involvement in G-to-G rice deals with two Chinese trading companies -- Guangdong Stationery and Sporting Goods Import and Export, and Hainan Grain and Oil Industrial Trading Co.
Suspicions surfaced when the National Anti-Corruption Commission found neither firm was authorised by Beijing to handle the deals.
Meanwhile, the government yesterday began selling off 570,000 tonnes of rice stored in 40 warehouses in 13 provinces.
A total of 35 parties submitted bids.