Thailand's Caretaker PM denies NACC charges

BANGKOK, February 20 (TNA) - Thailand's Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has denied she does wrong in the implementation of the rice-pledging scheme, as alleged by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). Yingluck wrote in her facebook account on Thursday, saying that she did nothing wrong in the rice-pledging scheme of her government. Yingluck stated that the anti-graft panel should not hurriedly conclude her case unless it had any hidden agenda. Yingluck's message responded to the NACC’s unanimous resolution on February 18 to summons her to acknowledge its charges of violating the Constitution and derelicting of duty at 2pm on February 27. Yingluck is accused in her capacity as the chair of the National Rice Policy Committee (NRPC) of ignoring corruption in the rice-pledging scheme and rice sales of her government, causing national damage worth over 200 billion baht. The message in the “Yingluck Shinawatra” facebook account also reads that the work of the prime minister and the NRPC chair is at the policy-making level; so, she does nothing wrong. Besides, government agencies and officials implement the rice-pledging scheme at the operational level in compliance with the Cabinet's resolutions. Yingluck also complained that the NACC had ignored her request to have another national anti-corruption commissioner interrogate her in place of commissioner Vicha Mahakhun, and that the NACC concluded its investigation into her case unusually fast, within 21 days, while it made no progress in corruption cases against people of the previous Democrat Party-led government. The caretaker prime minister claimed unless there was a hidden agenda, the NACC should not conclude her case quickly and with the rapid process, the anti-graft commission could be accused of favoring anti-government movements.(TNA)