Boonsong, deputy commerce minister Poom Sarapol and other former senior commerce officials are facing massive compensation lawsuits worth a combined Bt20 billion for their role in bogus government-to-government rice contracts during the tenure of former premier Yingluck Shinawatra when her government implemented the rice-pledging scheme, which cost the state more than Bt500 billion.

Sansern said the civil liability cases were proceeding in a transparent manner but it would take some time to enforce the law regarding state officials’ civil liability.