THAILAND-POLITICS/YINGLUCK UPDATE Former PM Yingluck concern about additional evidences submitted in rice subsidy case

Record ID: 140601

  • Title: THAILAND-POLITICS/YINGLUCK UPDATE Former PM Yingluck concern about additional evidences submitted in rice subsidy case
  • Date: 31st August 2015
  • Summary: BANGKOK, THAILAND (AUGUST 31, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ENTRANCE OF SUPREME COURT ROOM YINGLUCK WALKING OUT YINGLUCK SUPPORTERS STANDING, HOLDING PAPER FANS YINGLUCK STANDING MEDIA CROWDING AROUND YINGLUCK (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) THAI FORMER PRIME MINISTER YINGLUCK SHINAWATRA SAYING: "At the moment, we have not seen the additional papers. Our next meeting (with the plaintiff side) is scheduled for October 29, which means that we have two months to look at the papers. I'm quite concerned and would like to ask the lawyers to do their best to uphold our rights." YINGLUCK LISTENING YINGLUCK LEAVING CROWD FOLLOWING YINGLUCK YINGLUCK GREETING HER SUPPORTERS YINGLUCK SUPPORTERS SHOUTING YINGLUCK WALKING YINGLUCK GETTING INTO CAR POLICE OFFICERS STANDING
  • Embargoed: 15th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA47DPF54E6ZA78LWN8R2XOXJMG
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Monday (August 31) she was concerned about additional evidence recently submitted by the attorney-general in the rice subsidy case.
    Yingluck appeared before the Supreme Court on Monday to review evidence in a case involving rice subsidies that haemorrhaged billions of dollars and could see her jailed for up to 10 years for negligence.
    Yingluck's flagship election policy helped sweep her to office in a landslide in 2011, but its failure saw her banned from politics for five years in January by a legislature appointed by the generals who toppled her government.
    The grain policy, which has since been discontinued, aimed to boost farmers' incomes by buying their rice at above market prices. Yingluck's government was attacked for refusing to abandon the scheme when the rice and debt piled up.
    It caused an estimated $16 billion in losses and left Thailand with a rice mountain it is still struggling to shift. The current stockpile is 13.9 million tonnes.
    Prosecutors on Monday provided an evidence dossier of 60,000 pages and 23 additional witnesses in the case.
    Yingluck said she is concerned by this.
    "At the moment, we have not seen the additional papers. Our next meeting (with the plaintiff side) is scheduled for October 29, which means that we have two months to look at the papers. I'm quite concerned and would like to ask the lawyers to do their best to uphold our rights," she told reporters after appearing at a Thai court on Monday.
    Yingluck insists she acted honestly in administering the policy, which was widely criticised for distorting global prices and saw Thailand lose its crown as the world's top rice shipper.
    Prosecutors expect the Supreme Court proceedings to last at least six months. Some experts have said the junta risks a backlash if Yingluck's supporters perceive the verdict as unfair.
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