Yingluck not travelling overseas to escape prosecution: lawyer

[webfact]

AFTER COUP
Yingluck not travelling overseas to escape prosecution: lawyer
Natthapat Phromkaew,
Jeerapong Prasertpolkrung
The Nation


Yingluck

BANGKOK: -- Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra's overseas trip is not intended to escape the legal cases against her stemming from the ousted government's rice price-pledging scheme, her lawyer said yesterday.

Norawit Lalaeng, who is Yingluck's lawyer, said the ex-PM had "full fighting spirit" and is confident of her innocence.

"She has no intention of escaping the cases. This overseas trip is really for her to take a rest," he said.

"She worked with no vacation for over two years. It's a rumour that she is going to escape and live overseas."

Norawit was responding to speculation that Yingluck would not return to Thailand, after the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) gave her permission to leave the country.

He said the junta had allowed Yingluck, accompanied by her son Supasek Amornchat, to leave the country.

A source close to Yingluck said she had sent a letter to NCPO chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha on Wednesday, seeking permission to go on a vacation with her son. She would leave Thailand on Tuesday and the trip would last 10 to 15 days.

Yingluck's itinerary covers France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The source said Prayuth gave permission without any condition. However, a military source told Agence France-Presse that Yingluck must inform the authorities of her whereabouts through the Thai embassies overseas in those countries while travelling.

The source said she would also meet her brother, exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawtara, in Paris for his 65th birthday on July 26.

Yingluck faces 32 cases. Some involve an investigation while others are at the fact-finding stage.

Among the key cases are the Bt350-billion water management scheme, the Bt2-trillion loan for infrastructure projects, alleged corruption in the rice-pledging scheme, alleged concealment of assets, and an impeachment case related to the rice scheme.

NCPO deputy spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvari said yesterday that the junta had approved Yingluck's request for the overseas trip because she had never acted in a way that violated or defied its conditions and orders prohibiting her from making any political move or leaving the country without permission.

He added that she had fully cooperated with the NCPO.

The spokesman said the NCPO's working committee in charge of considering the vacation request had given Yingluck the green light to travel overseas.

Recently, the National Anti-Corruption Commission disclosed that Yingluck's wealth had increased by Bt33 million while she was in office.

As of May 7, when she was disqualified from office following a Constitutional Court ruling, she had assets worth Bt601 million and Bt28 million debt. Most of her wealth is from stocks she holds in many companies.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Yingluck-not-travelling-overseas-to-escape-prosecu-30238802.html


-- The Nation 2014-07-18

[metisdead]

A post using oversized and bold all caps has been removed. If you cannot post in a normal manner, back away from your keyboard.

[jaidam]

This just confirms that Yingluck will bolt the stable. I can't help but remember every single announcement a Shin lawyer ever made has been proved to be total <deleted>(and yes if the lovers doubt me I can give an easy half dozen examples so be sure before whining for proof!)

[englishoak]

Well lets see, shes been given the green light by someone to go and it couldnt have happened without it.

I really hope she comes back to face the music, be much more interesting than the obvious conclusion.

Edited July 17, 2014 by englishoak

[terryp]

just like her brother then

[thesetat2013]

Isn't this a no-brainer. What person would admit to fleeing to avoid prosecution prior to their leaving? Only time will tell if it's a lie. However, if i had 32 criminal cases against me and just learned that i would be indicted based on an NACC investigation I do not think I would want to stick around. But then, everyone knows YL has no sense let alone common sense. She will do what her master tells her.

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[siampolee]

If she is wise she will return, the kudos she could and would earn from such an action would in my view possibly revive her political fortune, and may well lead to her eclipsing her odious brother and his cronies.

If she experienced a political epiphany and nailed her political colours to her own mast it might well be an interesting situation, time alone will tell.

There is of course the position that a deal may have been made behind closed doors the details of which none of us Thai or otherwise will ever be privy to.

Such deals are not unknown around the world.

Possibly shades of ''away you go my dear, and as we agreed all the Shinwatra clan clutter goes with you, thus you'll have no problems.''

Her brothers pawns ,well they are expendable aren't they?

They are going into the petty cash fund to reimburse the country for the Shinwatra's misdeeds, they will be the ones who will have to pay the Shinwatra account

[hawker9000]

Interesting that she couldn't have found a place to relax, refresh & recharge anywhere in Thailand, but has to go to the US, UK & France to do so... 'Must be nice to be a member of the "elite". Oh, wait a minute, weren't they the other guys? Lol. But whatever, she probably shouldn't have been allowed to associate with a known fugitive criminal. NOT doing so should've been a condition of her being allowed to leave the country.

[Robby nz]

As an ordinary Thai citizen, especially a female, there is quite a procedure to go through to get visas for the three countries she says she plans to visit.

It would have required 3 separate applications to get them and even using an agent that takes time. I doubt "Do you know who I was and who my brother is" would have made much difference.

That being the case it is very likely that she still has a diplomatic passport which would allow her visa free entry, a passport she has no longer any right to hold as she has no official standing in the country.

[ozsamurai]

SO the long arm of the law is finally unraveling her BS, starting to turn up real evidence and lay charges, so she wants a holiday....oh come on! Bye Bye Baby! She's gonna hop it. Has she ever taken trips with her son (who is also being investigated) like this before? Something is rotten in Denmark. Go get your new orders from big bro, drum up some sympathy from the US, how about a stop over at the white house to visit Barack, I hear Michelle is out of town for a while.

Oz

[saltandpepper]

she worked with no vacation for over 2 years

This alone made my day, as I was looking for a reason to laugh

[FreedomDude]

If I were facing charges in a country where I knew I would not possibly receive a fair trial, I would flee too.

Fleeing is the smart thing for her to do.

[DonThaiToMe]

We all know who the NACC supports, same with the rest of the judicial system.

So if she stays it would probably be a dumb/honest move.

Anyway, the junta is mostly doing a great job, but when the reforms are over and it´s time for new elections the reds will win again and it all starts over again and will never end until a certain group learns to take a defeat...

[ramrod711]

"She worked with no vacation for over two years. It's a rumour that she is going to escape and live overseas."

Oh please, 2 years without a vacation. She managed to get to more than 30 countries in those 2 years. All nose to the grindstone was it? no time for a little shopping was there? I hope she wasn't staying in dormitory hostels. What about the 3 months tour of NE Thailand while the NACC was patiently waiting for her to appear. Rubbish.

Edited July 18, 2014 by ramrod711

[ChrisY1]

As an ordinary Thai citizen, especially a female, there is quite a procedure to go through to get visas for the three countries she says she plans to visit.

It would have required 3 separate applications to get them and even using an agent that takes time. I doubt "Do you know who I was and who my brother is" would have made much difference.

That being the case it is very likely that she still has a diplomatic passport which would allow her visa free entry, a passport she has no longer any right to hold as she has no official standing in the country.

She has been dismissed from the government...her DP status is void now.

It should be an offence to attemp to try to use it, if she still has it.

[ChrisY1]

We all know who the NACC supports, same with the rest of the judicial system.

So if she stays it would probably be a dumb/honest move.

Anyway, the junta is mostly doing a great job, but when the reforms are over and it´s time for new elections the reds will win again and it all starts over again and will never end until a certain group learns to take a defeat...

"The reds will win again"......the junt hasn't finished it's work yet...... they could move the electoral boundries...

[rametindallas]

Since her lawyer is a paid, professional liar,

She.is.not.coming.back.guaranteed.

[BSJ]

So, let me get this right. Yinglucks illness (no, she hasn't got it yet) is such that the world renouned medical expert says she cannot fly back to Thailand as her life would be in peril.

So, in her absence the junta allows the court cases against her to proceed. Ultimately she is found guilty of some charges and prison time is decided on.

Her condition becomes life threatening and on advice of her medical expert she is confined to her apartment at the "Palais Royal -Musee du Louvre" indefinitely!

Am I wrong?

[LuckyLew]

I will believe this when she returns

Where are those Ukraine rebels when you need them? 555

[ezzra]

Yep, she need to travel to replenish on the latest of the luxury goods she have been missing

out not being able to travel...

[mrtoad]

she worked with no vacation for over 2 years

This alone made my day, as I was looking for a reason to laugh

Should have said she vacationed for over two years, with no work. I think it was a typo.

[bristolgeoff]

do you believe in what someone told you.with her name and brother gone.cows fly too bye Thailand and hello Dubai brother

[djjamie]

"Norawit Lalaeng, who is Yingluck's lawyer, said the ex-PM had "full fighting spirit" and is confident of her innocence" So thaksin was not confident of his innocence then?

"She has no intention of escaping the cases. This overseas trip is really for her to take a rest," That is what thaksins lawyer said.

"She worked with no vacation for over two years. It's a rumour that she is going to escape and live overseas." For someone that only spent 50% of her time in parliament, did not attend any rice committee meetings and travelled overseas to visit India, Cambodia, South Korea, China, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey, Hong Kong, Germany, France, UK, Sweden, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, Vatican City, Montenegro, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Australia, New Zealand and PNG, Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia so one could suggest she is already well rested. Oh, nearly forgot, the Maldives as well. If only Akeyuth was alive to extrapolate on his comments regarding her holiday there.

[Pib]

Maybe the junta is just allowing her some rope (i.e., permission to leave the country for a few weeks) to see what she does with that rope. If another Shinawatra was to skip the country in the face of legal issues it would make a powerful impression that when the going gets tough a Shinawatra will get going out the back door....it would also probably do a better job of implying guilt that an actual conviction. Time will tell.

[AleG]

"She worked with no vacation for over two years. It's a rumour that she is going to escape and live overseas."

Prime Minister Yingluck holidays in Pattaya

Besides that she's been on holidays since she was shown the door, the indiference to the truth of her lawyer has thus been stablished.

Yingluck, son visit Chiang Mai for personal holidays

Yingluck relaxes in Chiang Mai

[wealth]

in the USA, will they investigate her university degree. Was it Obamanized? (like his birth certificate)

[Minaj82]

just like her brother then

It's a fundamental aspect of cloning.

[monkey4u]

" The trip is for her to take a rest "

Taking a rest is ALL she did when in office

[brd]

why not letting her out from Thailand leaving her the choice either to stay abroad and Thauland can close the Shinawatra files in absentia, stop mentioning them in the press or she will be back to face the music that will be so loud and for sure to be exacerbating again Thai political scene.

The Thai General Praytuh Chan-Ocha is highly intelligent, very confident, smartest of all and knowing enough to appreciate the large picture he is working hard to improve.

Let it be !

[Minaj82]

"She worked with no vacation for over two years. It's a rumour that she is going to escape and live overseas."

Oh please, 2 years without a vacation. She managed to get to more than 30 countries in those 2 years. All nose to the grindstone was it? no time for a little shopping was there? I hope she wasn't staying in dormitory hostels. What about the 3 months tour of NE Thailand while the NACC was patiently waiting for her to appear. Rubbish.

She was PM for nearly 3 years. In her first two years in office, her traveling, shopping, and visiting to other countries was unprecedented in the history of Thailand :

Thai Rath had full details of all 52 trips to 41 countries that Yingluck had made since taking office and the political desk questioned whether all the trips that Yingluck was making were worth it.

http://asiancorrespondent.com/112575/why-is-yingluck-not-in-parliament/