Thailand's Caretaker PM meets anti-graft panel

NONTHABURI, THAILAND, March 31 (TNA) - Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra met the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on Monday to defend her roles in the loss-ridden and alleged corruption-plagued rice-pledging scheme. Accompanied by Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan, Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana, Caretaker Justice Minister Chaikasem Nitisiri, Caretaker Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office Varathep Rattanakorn and a legal expert of her Pheu Thai Party, Phichit Chuenban, Yingluck arrived at the NACC office in Bangkok's adjacent Nonthaburi Province at 2.30pm to defend herself in the anti-graft panel’s accusation that she unconstitutionally exercised her authority in the rice-pledging scheme. Four members of the NACC listened to her defence. Earlier in the day, the NACC released a statement to deny Yingluck’s recent claim that the anti-graft commission unusually sped up its investigation into her roles in the rice-pledging scheme, explaining that the NACC, through a sub-committee, had spent 22 months on probing the rice-pledging scheme during the term of former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom. The NACC also denied Yingluck’s claim that it did not extend its deadline for her defence, stating that the anti-graft panel actually extended the deadline for 32 days from the date that it had informed Yingluck to acknowledge its charge against her. During her 15-minute verbal defence before the anti-graft commissioners, the caretaker prime minister reportedly asked the NACC to look into her three-box documents, saying she is ready to provide more information, if informed, and she has prepared 11 witnesses to argue against the charges. NACC Secretary-General Sansern Poljiak later told reporters that the anti-graft panel will consider the caretaker prime minister’s defence statment at its meeting on April 1, 2014. (TNA)