The Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT) has released a report on graft cases involving politicians over the past ten years in which the rice-pledging scheme caused the most financial damage at 130 billion baht.
According to the report, there were 61 cases involving 68 politicians in total.
These cases, which were covered by media reports, were investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Commission and ruled on by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions and the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases from 2012 to the present.
The rice-pledging scheme caused the most financial damage in this period at 130 billion baht, followed by the Klong Dan wastewater treatment project, with damages estimated at 24.9 billion baht.
Of the 61 cases, eight involve procurement-related graft and price collusion and cost the country 52 billion baht combined.
ACT secretary-general, Mana Nimitmongkol, said the report was compiled to raise public awareness about the damage caused by corruption and to remind people that they should not tolerate it. He said politicians have come up with all sorts of tricks, including exploitation of legal loopholes to make it difficult for them to be caught. Politicians refer to MPs, senators, members of the National Legislative Assembly and cabinet ministers.
“Wrongdoing can happen in any state agency, and the accused do not have to be cabinet ministers. MPs, members of parliamentary committees and their networks can hurt the country. Politicians, elected and appointed, can be corrupt,” he said.
Mr Mana said although a large number of cases are lodged with the NACC and forwarded to the court, they take several years to conclude, and there is only a small number in which the accused are found in the wrong.
He noted that politicians are believed to have pulled strings behind major corruption cases, but most of the people who are prosecuted are state officials. These cases include the rubber gloves case (2 billion baht) and police station project (5.8 billion baht).
The report observed that several politicians accused of corruption are contesting the upcoming election.