Verdict due in trial of Thailand's missing ex-PM Yingluck

[webfact]

Verdict due in trial of Thailand's missing ex-PM Yingluck

By Aukkarapon Niyomyat

 

FILE PHOTO: Ousted former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra greets supporters as she arrives at the Supreme Court in Bangkok, Thailand, August 1, 2017. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's Supreme Court is expected to deliver a verdict on Wednesday in a negligence trial involving former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who fled abroad last month fearing that the military government would seek a harsh sentence.

 

Yingluck, whose government was ousted by the military in 2014, could be sentenced to as much as 10 years in prison if found guilty of negligence over a costly rice subsidy scheme that helped to bring her to power in an election in 2011.

 

Yingluck had pleaded innocent and had accused the military government of political persecution.

 

The clash between Thailand's traditional elite, including the army and affluent Bangkok-based upper classes, and the Shinawatra family, which includes Yingluck's brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup, have dominated Thai politics for more than a decade.

 

The Shinawatras commanded huge support by courting rural voters, helping them to win every general election since 2001, but their foes accused them of corruption and nepotism.

 

Under the rice scheme, Yingluck's government bought rice from farmers at above-market prices, leading to stockpiles of the grain and distorted global prices of the commodity. Losses amounted to $8 billion, the military government has said.

 

Although police said they expected no security issues, some 300 officers were deployed at the court, while a Reuters reporter saw just 50 supporters of Yingluck there.

 

That was far fewer than on Aug. 25, when the court was originally scheduled to deliver its verdict, only to find out that Yingluck had fled the country.

 

"It doesn't matter if Yingluck doesn't show up today. I'll always come to support her because I love her," said Thuanphit Srichan, 60, a retiree from Pathum Thani province north of Bangkok.

 

Though her whereabouts has not been disclosed by either her aides or the junta, Reuters reported last month that she had fled to Dubai where Thaksin has a home and lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a 2008 jail sentence for corruption.

 

The leader of the military junta, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, said on Tuesday he knows where Yingluck is but would reveal it until after the verdict is read.

 

Yingluck's lawyer, Sommai Koosap, told Reuters outside the court on Wednesday that he has not heard from Yingluck since her departure from Thailand.

 

"We've done our best. We have fought according to the law ... the result now is up to the court," Sommai told Reuters.

 

Yingluck, who was previously active on social media, has not commented publicly since disappearing from public view.

 

Her Puea Thai Party has said that the party does not know where she is.

 

Thai authorities investigating how Yingluck escaped said last week they have questioned three police officers who admitted to helping her.

 

A former commerce minister in her government was jailed for 42 years last month for falsifying government-to-government rice deals in connection with the subsidy scheme.

 

(Additional reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre, Panarat Thepgumpanat and Suphanida Thakral; Writing by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Simon Cameron-Moore)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-27

[webfact]

Police tighten security around Supreme Court

By The Nation

 

 

The Metropolitan Police Bureau on Wednesday deployed two companies of policemen at the Supreme Court.

 

Pol Maj-General Phanurat Lakboon, deputy commissioner of the bureau, said the police were deployed to maintain security ahead of the verdict reading in the rice-pledging case against former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

 

Phanura said police expect some 300 supporters of the former prime minister at the court to hear the verdict.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30327799

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-27

[webfact]

Yingluck judgement day arrives, minus the brouhaha

By Wasamon Audjarint 
The Nation

 

 

Another “judgement day” for fugitive former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has arrived, but this time it lacks the excitement and tension that surrounded the previous judgement day last month.

 

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders is scheduled to read at 9am on Wednesday its verdict in the case against Yingluck of alleged negligence in preventing corruption and irregularities in her government’s rice-pledging scheme.

 

The ruling was postponed on August 25 as Yingluck did not turn up in court for the reading which led the court to issue an arrest warrant for her. The former prime minister is known to have fled the country.

 

The scene in front of the court on Chaeng Wattana Road on Wednesday was very different from last month.

 

Aware that Yingluck is not likely to show up, the number of Yingluck supporters turning up outside the court on Wednesday are significantly less than what one saw last month. Only two companies of Metropolitan police officers have been deployed to take care of security.

 

At 8am, around 50 supporters of the former PM were seen in front of the Supreme Court today. This contrasts with the thousands of supporters who had to be confined last month in a limited area in front of the Government Complex where the Supreme Court is located. This time, the supporters have been allowed to stand right in front of the Court.

 

No key Pheu Thai Party officials or former MPs were seen near the court.

 

Some supporters wore T-shirts with messages “[we] miss people overseas” with crab stickers representing “Phu” – Yingluck’s nickname in Thai.

 

Two female supporters, who identified themselves as Roong and Nut, said that they had travelled independently from their provinces to provide moral support to Yingluck.

 

“We just talked via Facebook that we will wear the same T-shirts today,” said 48-year-old Roong from Ratchaburi province. “We don’t expect anything but justice for Yingluck.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30327801

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-27

[darksidedog]

While I fully expect the verdict to be guilty, accompanied by a stretch in jail, it will be highly interesting to see how things pan out, should a surprise "Not Guilty" verdict be given. Assuming of course that they actually read the verdict, not adjourn the reading, as they often seem to do here.

[webfact]

Supreme Court set to rule in case against Yingluck

By Kasamakorn Chanwanpen 
The Nation

 

 

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders is scheduled to read today the verdict in the case against fugitive former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra of alleged negligence in preventing corruption and irregularities in her government’s rice-pledging scheme.

Although the court has scheduled the verdict reading for 9am, it is expected to be delayed as the judicial panel first has to confer and reach a consensus.

 

The reading could take hours as the judges would cite accounts and evidence provided by witnesses of both the plaintiff and the defendant before handing down the final ruling.

 

The personal judgement of each of the nine judges would be published later.

 

There are three possible outcomes in the case:

 

 Yingluck could be found guilty and sentenced to a year to 10 years in jail, a Bt2,000 to Bt20,000 fine, or both;

 

 Yingluck could be found guilty but sentenced to a suspended jail term;

 

 The former prime minister could be acquitted.

 

The verdict could be appealed if new evidence or facts are presented, according to the new Constitution.

 

But there has been debate whether Yingluck would be allowed to appeal an adverse ruling. While the 2017 Constitution allows an appeal, the new law on criminal procedures for political office holders, which would lay out the conditions for an appeal, has not been promulgated.

 

Yingluck is not expected to show up at court today. If she is sentenced to a jail term, another arrest warrant will be issued for her.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30327802

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-27

[robblok]

11 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

While I fully expect the verdict to be guilty, accompanied by a stretch in jail, it will be highly interesting to see how things pan out, should a surprise "Not Guilty" verdict be given. Assuming of course that they actually read the verdict, not adjourn the reading, as they often seem to do here.

Given the evidence I expect a guilty verdict too.. i mean.. your own top ministers are doing fake G2G deals defrauding the country.. people warned you about it and you do nothing besides saying there is no corruption. Not to mention never going to one meeting... so yea a guilty verdict would be given (for negligence) in most countries. Not to mention she never put any money in the 2011 budget for the rice program even when she know it was costing loads of money. 

 

No idea about the sentence myself will wait and see.

 

[webfact]

Smaller, Subdued Crowd Awaits Yingluck Verdict

By Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

 

Supporters seated outside the Supreme Court's political division on Wednesday morning in Bangkok.

 

BANGKOK — It was a less boisterous crowd of supporters gathered outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday to hear the rescheduled reading of the verdict against former premier Yingluck Shinawatra.

 

About 100 supporters gathered at the court’s Division for Political Office Holders a month after much larger crowds saw a carnival-like atmosphere give way to tears when hours rolled by without Yingluck arriving to hear the court’s ruling in her long-running malfeasance trial.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/courts/2017/09/27/smaller-subdued-crowd-awaits-yingluck-verdict/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2017-09-27

[webfact]

Yingluck’s lawyer ‘has not heard from her’

By Wasamon Audjarint 
The Nation

 

 

Norrawit Larlaeng, a lawyer of Yingluck Shinawatra, arrived at the Supreme Court on Wednesday at 8.45am to hear the ruling in the case against the former premier of negligence in managing her government’s rice-pledging scheme.

 

Norrawit said that he had not been contacted by Yingluck or her team since she disappeared before the verdict reading late last month.

 

The lawyer declined to speak about his plan after the verdict is read and whether Yingluck’s absence would impinge on her constitutional right to appeal the verdict.

 

“We will wait and see what the verdict is,” he said.

 

The ruling to be read on Wednesday was postponed on August 25 after Yingluck fled the country. The court has issued an arrest warrant for the former premier.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30327804

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-27

 

[webfact]

Police see no threat from Yingluck supporters outside court

By Wasamon Audjarint 
The Nation

 

 

Police are confident that no law-and-order problem would arise from the gathering of ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra’s supporters in front of the Supreme Court on Wednesday, but they warned that any wrongdoer infringing on the court’s authority would face punishment.

Metropolitan police chief Lt-General Sanit Mahathavorn, who took charge of security operations at the court at 9am on Wednesday, said he was confident it would be possible to reason with the dozens of supporters waiting right in front of the court if the verdict goes against the former premier.

 

Although there are no signs of tension as of now, Sanit said the police are prepared for all scenarios.

 

Contrary to the situation on August 25, supporters on Wednesday have been allowed to gather outside the court as the police do not see the need to block traffic in the Government Complex due to small number of Yingluck supporters.

 

“However, the compound is under the court’s authority. Any violator could face six-months imprisonment or a Bt500 fine,” he added.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30327805

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-27

[webfact]

Court reading of verdict in Yingluck case to begin at 11am

By Kasamakorn Chanwanpen 
The Nation

 

 

The Supreme Court will start reading at 11am on Wednesday its verdict in the case against fugitive Yingluck Shinawatra of alleged negligence in her government’s rice-pledging scheme.
 

A court official on Wednesday announced in the court room that the panel of nine judges had convened at 7am to reach a consensus on the verdict.

 

The ruling is expected to be read at 11am, he said, despite the absence of Yingluck.

 

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders was original scheduled to read the verdict on August 25 but Yingluck’s flight from the country led to the postponement. An arrest warrant was issued for Yingluck for failing to attend court to hear the ruling.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30327806

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-27

[NCC1701A]

"Although the court has scheduled the verdict reading for 9am, it is expected to be delayed as the judicial panel first has to confer and reach a consensus.

 

The reading could take hours as the judges would cite accounts and evidence provided by witnesses of both the plaintiff and the defendant before handing down the final ruling."

 

Why don't they do all of this before they schedule the verdict reading?

Why schedule a time to read the verdict before you have reached a verdict?

[craigt3365]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

"Although the court has scheduled the verdict reading for 9am, it is expected to be delayed as the judicial panel first has to confer and reach a consensus.

 

The reading could take hours as the judges would cite accounts and evidence provided by witnesses of both the plaintiff and the defendant before handing down the final ruling."

 

Why don't they do all of this before they schedule the verdict reading?

Why schedule a time to read the verdict before you have reached a verdict?

So they hadn't reached a verdict last time either?  What were they going to do if Yingluck actually showed up?  I'm confused. LOL

[chrisinth]

Still waiting for her to make an appearance to put rest to all the theories and speculations about her 'escape'.

 

Would like to see her arrive in a camry, driven by a police colonel.....................

[inThailand]

Last time they postponed the vertict reading for her no show. 

 

So are they now changing it? Only in LOS!

[klauskunkel]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Any violator could face six-months imprisonment or a Bt500 fine

a stretch of 6 months in jail is the equivalent of a 500 baht fine

[Artisi]

19 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

So they hadn't reached a verdict last time either?  What were they going to do if Yingluck actually showed up?  I'm confused. LOL

My understanding is the individual judges present their findings and the majority rules the day. 

[yellowboat]

Assets ceased before sentencing.  Prosecuted before appeal procedures in place.  It must be difficult to be a lawyer or judge with a conscious in Thailand. 

[Artisi]

22 minutes ago, inThailand said:

Last time they postponed the vertict reading for her no show. 

 

So are they now changing it? Only in LOS!

In theory and there is no reason to assume otherwise, the decision is made based on the finding of each judge who presents his case, from this the verdict is based on the majority. 

So no, they didn't postpone reading the verdict, they postponed the presentation of the individual findings. 

[inThailand]

Even verdicts here change with the wind!

[Tchooptip]

I have heard this morning on Thai TV she is supposed to be in the UK! 

[NextStationBangkok]

This is the country always fascinated about chasing the ghosts, from TV Dramas and in real life as well.

 

There will be many ghosts in the near future, and Interpol need to open a permanent office in Thailand to chase them down!

[NextStationBangkok]

16 minutes ago, Tchooptip said:

I have heard this morning on Thai TV she is supposed to be in the UK! 

It is an offense in Thailand to discuss where about the former PM.

 

Suppose to follow the government statement, and wait for Interpol to answer.

 

Three Toyota driving officers detained for driving them safely to borders, and now allowed to show up in the public.

[Baerboxer]

58 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

So they hadn't reached a verdict last time either?  What were they going to do if Yingluck actually showed up?  I'm confused. LOL

 

As with all things Thai Craig, leave it to the last minute, rush around like headless chickens and then cock it up.

 

The 6 P's never made it here!!

[Tchooptip]

 OK five years behind bars...if I understood well!

[eeworldwide]

Has it been announced?

[nausea]

3 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

The 6 P's never made it here!!

 

"Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance"

 

Three of them did.

[Baerboxer]

Just now, nausea said:

 

"Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance"

 

Three of them did.

 

"Poor planning produces piss poor performance" - they've got proving this one off to a tee!

[NCC1701A]

well? what is happening?

 

nothing new on google or twitter.

Edited September 27, 2017 by NCC1701A

[inThailand]

Just now, NCC1701A said:

well? what is happening?

The judges are on their lunch break, nooner, and then a nap. Should be back by 4 pm. 

[craigt3365]

She's guilty.  5 years in jail.