Thailand's Caretaker PM calls for justice from NACC

BANGKOK, March 28 (TNA) - Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has called for justice from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). Yingluck told journalists on Friday that she is concerned over the anti-graft panel’s ultimatum for her to defend herself on the alleged involvement in corruption under her government's rice-pledging scheme on March 31, 2014. Yingluck said she would like the anti-graft commission to treat her the way it did to other political position holders, complaining that the NACC normally has its sub-committee investigate a corruption case first and then receives an investigative report for its own and final consideration, but in her case the anti-graft commission did not set up a sub-committee to do so and took only 21 days to finish its own investigation. Yingluck also pointed out that the NACC has extended the schedule for her defence for only 15 days although she should deserve 45 days. Besides, she has just received an additional 280-page document of the NACC’s charge against her, but she has only three days to prepare her defence. The caretaker prime minister acknowledged that she has not yet consulted with her legal advisers on whether she should meet the NACC on March 31 to make the defence by herself or not. The NACC has accused that the caretaker prime minister failed to stop the rice-pledging scheme despite being aware of its huge loss and corruption. (TNA)