Thailand’s former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra was on Wednesday (Sept 27) found guilty of negligence over a costly rice subsidy scheme that helped to bring her to power in 2011. She was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison by the Supreme Court.
Under the rice scheme, Yingluck’s government bought rice from farmers at above-market prices, leading to stockpiles of the grain and distorted global prices of the commodity. Losses amounted to US$8 billion (S$10.8 billion), the military government has said.
Yingluck, whose government was ousted by the military in 2014, had pleaded innocent and had accused the military government of political persecution.
The clash between Thailand’s traditional elite, including the army and affluent Bangkok-based upper classes, and the Shinawatra family, which includes Yingluck’s brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup, have dominated Thai politics for more than a decade.
The Shinawatras commanded huge support by courting rural voters, helping them to win every general election since 2001, but their foes accused them of corruption and nepotism.
The Supreme Court ruling was supposed to be read on Aug 25, but the 50-year-old threw the court a curveball when she failed to show up, stunning thousands of supporters who had gathered outside. She did not show up at court on Wednesday.
Though her whereabouts has not been disclosed by either her aides or the junta, Reuters reported last month that she had fled to Dubai where Thaksin has a home and lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a 2008 jail sentence for corruption.
The leader of the military junta, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, said on Tuesday he knows where Yingluck is but would reveal it until after the verdict is read.
It was the first admission from the military regime that it had located the runaway ex-premier, reported The Nation newspaper.
While Thailand holds extradition agreements with several countries, Prayut said Thailand “cannot even bring a certain someone overseas back here”.
“I have my own spies. I have information but I can’t say it out loud,” Prayut said.
Thailand’s junta leaders deny having any prior knowledge of Yingluck’s plan to escape. But many are unconvinced given the junta’s tight security net and round-the-clock surveillance of the former premier.
Thai authorities investigating how she escaped said last week they have questioned three police officers who admitted to helping Yingluck flee.
Her Puea Thai Party has said that the party does not know where Yingluck is.
Yingluck, who was previously active on social media, has not commented publicly since disappearing from public view.
Her Puea Thai Party has said that the party does not know where she is.
No key Pheu Thai Party officials or former MPs were seen near the court on Wednesday.
Thai authorities investigating how Yingluck escaped said last week they have questioned three police officers who admitted to helping her.
A former commerce minister in her government was jailed for 42 years last month for falsifying government-to-government rice deals in connection with the subsidy scheme. (StraitsTimes)