Thailand's former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra indicted for negligence over rice subsidy scheme

Thailand's attorney-general has filed criminal charges against former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra over a controversial rice subsidy scheme

If found guilty on the charge of negligence, she could be jailed for up to 10 years.

Thailand's National Anti Corruption Commission( NACC)resolved that it will recomment Finance Ministry to sue for about 600 million baht(S$ 25 billion)in damages for failing to stop losses to state coffers incurre by her govt's controversial rice pledging scheme

resolved yesterday that it will recommend for the Finance Ministry to sue former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra for about 600 billion baht (S$25 billion) in damages - for failing to stop massive losses to state coffers incurred by her government's controversial rice-pledging scheme - See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/former-thai-pm-yingluck-may-face-25-billion-lawsuit-ministry-over-ri#sthash.ofA7yKIE.dpuf

resolved yesterday that it will recommend for the Finance Ministry to sue former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra for about 600 billion baht (S$25 billion) in damages - for failing to stop massive losses to state coffers incurred by her government's controversial rice-pledging scheme - See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/former-thai-pm-yingluck-may-face-25-billion-lawsuit-ministry-over-ri#sthash.ofA7yKIE.dpuf

Finance Minister Sommai Phasee said on Wednesday Feb 18,2015 that the ministry had received a letter from the national corruption watchdog urging it to pursue civil suit against Ms Yingluck to recover losses of 600bn baht ($18.4bn; £11.9bn) related to the scheme.

The Supreme Court will decide on  March 19,2015 whether to pursue the criminal case

Note

Yingluck Shinawatra was removed by a court in May 2014, shortly before the military ousted her elected govt

Under the rice subsidy scheme Ms Yingluck's Pheu Thai-led government bought rice from Thai farmers at above the market rate, costing the government billions of dollars

Yingluck Shinawatra was later impeached over the rice subsidy scheme and banned from politics for five years. Thailand, meanwhile, remains under martial law in the wake of the coup

Thailand's Troubles

• September 2006: Army ousts Thaksin Shinawatra
• December 2007: Pro-Thaksin party wins election
• August 2008: Mr Thaksin flees Thailand
• December 2008: Huge anti-Thaksin protests; court bans ruling party; Democrat's Abhisit Vejjajiva comes to power
• March-May 2010: Huge pro-Thaksin protests; dozens killed in army crackdown
• July 2011: Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of Mr Thaksin, elected PM
• November 2013: Anti-government protests begin
• May 2014: Ms Yingluck removed from office; military launches coup
• August 2014: Coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha named PM by legislature hand-picked by military