BANGKOK, 22 April 2014 – The Public Warehouse Organization (PWO) has reaffirmed there was no pledged rice missing from the warehouse as the opposition has claimed.
PWO Director General Chanutpakorn Wongsrinil made the announcement after the agency’s investigating team reported its finding saying there was no sign of irregularity in the program.
The report indicated that the missing amount referred to by the opposition was actually kept as part of the secondary reserve at silos of private companies under the supervision of the PWO. It said the opposition’s misunderstanding might have stemmed from the fact that the amount of rice withdrawn for reserve exceeded the requested figure.
The Director General said however the finding was merely an initial investigation, and needed to be cross-checked by two more fact finding committees appointed by the PWO and the Commerce Ministry.
He also mentioned that the PWO officials involved in the unauthorized removal of pledged rice from the warehouse in Buriram Province would face a serious disciplinary action, possibly dismissal from service.
