Ex-female Thai PM to personally deliver closing statement on impeachment case

BANGKOK, January 16 (TNA) - Former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra will reportedly deliver the closing statement on an impeachment case against her before the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) in person on January 22. Yingluck's lawyer, Norawit Lalaeng, told journalists of the information on Friday, when the ex-female Thai premier assigned former ministers concerned in her previous government to give statements before NLA on behalf of her on the impeachment case. Yingluck faces impeachment, filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), for alleged dereliction of duty in her previous government's rice-pledging scheme, accused by the anti-graft commission of corruption. Yingluck, who was also chairwoman of the National Rice Policy Committee when she was the premier, appeared before NLA during the first hearing on January 9, when she reportedly claimed to explain all charges brought against her. NLA President Pornphet Wichitcholchai has set the closing statements for impeachment cases against Thailand's former Senate speaker Nikhom Wairatpanij and former House speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont on January 21 and against Yingluck on January 22, while setting the impeachment rulings on the three cases on January 23. Nikhom and Somsak were accused of legal violation in past attempts to amend Thailand's 2007 Constitution on its part concerning the make-up of the Senate, all the three cases were filed by NACC. (TNA)