The investigation, led by DSI Deputy Director-General Pol Capt Piya Raksakul, is marked as Special Case No. 56/2023 and urgently follows up on the progress of corruption and embezzlement in the case, the DSI reported.
The DSI’s efforts also look to propose a joint effort to solve problems between the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives in accordance with the policy of new Minister of Justice Pol Col Tawee Sodsong, the DSI noted in a report issued on monday (Sept 18).
The special investigation team examined witnesses until the facts and relevant evidence were known enough to be able to report charges to those involved, the DSI added.
The DSI investigation found that many offenses were committed, on many occasions, the DSI said.
Among the most prominent offenses were that In the case of decreasing purchases of fresh palm fruit from cooperative members, and the co-op bought higher yields from large and small orchards, private farmers /other community enterprises.
Further, a “palm delivery service fee” was set up for transporting fresh palm fruit to the cooperative association’s factory, and it was found that there was a person who had a relationship with the cooperative association’s executives, the DSI explained.
At that time, the persons involved received a large amount in terms of palm shipping fees, the agency added.
Where selected providers delivered palm fruit of which 18% of the delivery did not meet the minimum standard quality criteria, the price paid to some sellers for the delivery was elevated to equal that paid for high quality palm fruit.
Another key issue was found the cooperative entering a contract with OPG Tech Company Limited to buy and sell crude palm oil on credit to the amount of B386,741,541.80.
However, OPG Tech Company Limited later defaulted on debt payments, resulting in the cooperative not receiving any payments for the credit granted.
But yet there had been no written demand for the bank to accept compensation for the obligation of the letter of guarantee, and the cooperative had not exercised the right to claim under the statute of limitations according to the letter of guarantee. Both facts were deemed to be a failure to perform duties as ordered by the Cooperative Registrar and have caused damage, the DSI said.
In the case of a contract to transport crude palm oil. the cooperative had hired Trang Wirunkit Transport Limited Partnership as the only contractor for transporting crude palm oil, which was not in accordance with relevant regulations.
In the case of the sale of property of the cooperative assembly palm oil extraction factory, operated by Krabi Wiset Palm Oil Co Ltd, in Khlong Thom, Krabi, the investigation had found that the contents of the purchase and sale agreement were unfair. It did not protect the interests of the cooperative assembly, and thus caused damage to the cooperative, the DSI noted in its report.
“In addition, in the investigation there are issues related to corruption of other cooperatives, such as illegally selling land to cooperative associations,” the DSI report continued.
A team of DSI investigators arrived in Krabi to investigate and interview relevant witnesses from Sept 13-19, namely officials from the Krabi Provincial Cooperatives Office and from the Khlong Thom Cooperative Settlement Office.
The officers had obtained copies of land title deeds from the Khlong Thom branch of the Krabi Provincial Land Office, and found documents confirming illegal rights granted for 27 plots.
The Cooperative Promotion Department has now filed a complaint for the DSI to investigate illegal land rights documents for 313 plots, the DSI added.
“The Department of Special Investigation will coordinate action with Cooperative Promotion Department officials under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and if an offense is found [officers] will report to the Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation to consider ordering further investigation into the special case,” the report concluded.