The government claims they are taking this action to prevent the case from expiring based on the two-year statute of limitations, which will expire in February 2017...
Administrative courts are allowed to demand compensation from government officials found guilty of committing gross negligence or deliberate actions that result in damage to the state, according to Section 10 of the 1996 Act on Liability for Wrongful Acts of Officials.
The law has been on the books for almost 20 years and more than 300 cases have been filed under the law.
The administrative order is based on the findings by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) that pointed to gross negligence in the rice pledging scheme, resulting in damages to the state.