Court issues arrest warrant for ex-PM

BANGKOK, Aug 26 (TNA) -- The Supreme Court issues an arrest warrant for former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Friday after she failed to appear to hear the verdict in the criminal case against her over the controversial rice pledging scheme. After two years and six months of court hearings, Ms Yingluck was due to show up for the final verdict at the Supreme Courtfor’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Offices Friday morning, a high profile lawsuit that has drawn a great deal of international attention. Her lawyer requested the court for delays claiming that Ms Yingluck suffered from meniere's disease and could not attend the court session. Following confusions over series of reports of Ms Yingluck’s delayed arrival at the court as well as her illnesses, the court issued the arrest warrant and seizure of the Bt30 million bail. Reporters said the former prime minister was not at her house amid rumors that she has left the country. Commenting on the matter, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said he was somewhat surprised of Yingluck’s move after indicating her intention to prove herself in court and confidence of her innocence. Gen Prayut said he did not know whether Ms Yingluck had fled Thailand as it was the duty of all relevant agencies to seek Ms Yingluck arrest. Meanwhile, immigration authorities report that there is no indication that Ms Yingluck has left the country through normal immigration process. Ms Yingluck had been formally prohibited from leaving the country since May 19, 2015, when the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office accepted the state lawsuit against her. The prosecutor, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has argued before the court that although the program was called a “rice-pledging” scheme, farmers who had their rice pledged under the project would never have bought it back because the pledge price offered by Ms Yingluck’s government was much higher than the market value of the rice. It has presented that court proves of irregularities costing over Bt400 billion in taxpayers’ money. In the case, the nine judges have been expected to look at whether Ms Yingluck was aware of the irregularities. Her critics have argued that several agencies had warned her government many times and the opposition had also made the point in parliamentary debates. The NAAC prosecutors also presented evidence that Yingluck ignored warnings of irregularities and opted to continue with the rice-pledging scheme. With the no-show, the court has announced to postpone the final verdict to September 27. (TNA)