Thai prosecutors warned 'not to fall for delay tactic' for ex-PM

[webfact]

Prosecutors warned 'not to fall for delay tactic' for ex-PM
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- FORMER PRIME MINISTER Yingluck Shinawatra is trying to stretch out the |judicial proceedings against her over the rice-pledging scheme into next year when the political tide could turn in her favour, political activist Suriyasai Katasila alleged yesterday.

Anyone can see that she goes out shopping for food everyday but how can she say she has no time to go to court?" he said.

Yingluck's attorneys sought to stall prosecutors' attempts to indict her on Wednesday at the Supreme Court's Political Division for Political Office Holders, he said.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission has accused Yingluck of |failing to stop corruption in the rice-mortgaging scheme despite warnings from the anti-graft body and causing the state to lose hundreds of billions of baht.

He said Yingluck had not confirmed that she was ready to appear at the court to hear the charges against her.

Yingluck had two alternatives: try to dodge prosecution by fleeing the country or try to delay the trial until the political momentum works to her advantage, he said.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has stated the next general election would be held early next year.

Last week, Yingluck asked the Attorney-General's Office to review its decision to seek her arraignment.

Suriyasai warned the Attorney-General's Office and the National Anti-Corruption Commission to ensure that |the prosecution goes ahead.

If the court allowed Yingluck to leave the country, she was unlikely to return, he claimed, so the case against her would have to be suspended.

Many politicians have already escaped prosecution after committing irregularities and this has caused a breakdown in national reconciliation because people who were in the wrong refused to face |justice, he added.

Meanwhile, former Democrat list-MP Watchara Phetthong hit back at former Pheu Thai Party whip Amnuay Klangpha for claiming it was not legally possible to freeze the assets of Yingluck and former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom before the court delivers a verdict on the rice-pledging scheme.

Watchara said he was informed that some assets had been transferred to the United Kingdom.

The NACC and prosecutors should petition the court to issue an order to seize both politicians' assets, he said.

Norawit Lalang, Yingluck's attorney, attacked the NACC's move to ask the Finance Ministry to |calculate the financial damage to the state from the rice-pawning scheme in order to file a civil suit against those responsible.

The NACC would file the petition with the Finance Ministry tomorrow.

Why was the anti-graft agency in such a hurry when the Supreme Court has yet to rule on the case, he asked.

The Finance Ministry was also assigned to carry out the rice-pledging policy, he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Prosecutors-warned-not-to-fall-for-delay-tactic-fo-30254151.html


-- The Nation 2015-02-16

[Robby nz]

The Finance Ministry was also assigned to carry out the rice-pledging policy, he said.

But didn't the chair of the finance ministry post audit committee get sacked when that committee came out with actual numbers of the losses from the scheme ?

Seems the finance ministry was carrying out their part of the scheme when they told the truth about the losses only to be castigated for telling the truth.

[Plutojames88]

Dispite the fanatical elitist support on this site ( which by the way damages it's popularity with thinking people) that want YS blood , increasingly audacious verminous remarks like those above will only corner the Government.

Increasingly , it looks like YS won't run , and her stand and fight tactics can only end in such a kangaroo court environment obviously one way.

The international tolerance of this military Government is fast growing thin.

And already the broader overseas community see this trail as more a political Witch Hunt.

Hatred"s of the family that has long won every political battle democratically against the elitists it has waged.

A popular passive kind legitimate PM female who internationally is very much in the spotlight about to be prosecuted under very dubious circumstances and most likely jailed.

The Government must sense ( if it has any rationale into consequences) that such a move will incite harsh international outrage .Boycotts and sanctions would not be out of the question , and long term friends would seem to be quickly distancing themselves away.

Australia already bans the junta from visits there.

UN has made strong requests regarding military courts .

The domestic outrage might be useful for the military to justify a delay in elections ( which look in any case influenced already) but it also knows it would be far less tolerated and would begin to suffer further in an international hostile environment .

The only winner being China who seeks to move closer in its ties .

Thailand strangely seems at a cross road .

If it takes the elitist position to the point where she ( YS) is jailed .

Many observers will view it as a pivotal point of no return for this general.

The chance of huge social unrest also remains a real possibility .

But in any case the Americans in Particular wont stomach a military state jailing a popular democratically elected PM for nothing other than spite and power play.

It will spell the beginning of the end for the military coup and its hopes of winning international belief.

Edited February 16, 2015 by Plutojames88

[ChrisY1]

Many politicians have refused to face justice ????

Mainly because the judiciary, prosecutors and police are a bunch of soft c*&*s!!

How can anyone "refuse" to face the courts?

[Prbkk]

No, they wouldn't want the statute of limitations run out as it did with so many of the "Bangkok elite" and their scandals from the 90s. Different side though, that was OK.

[cornishcarlos]

Dispite the fanatical elitist support on this site ( which by the way damages it's popularity with thinking people) that want YS blood , increasingly audacious verminous remarks like those above will only corner the Government.

Increasingly , it looks like YS won't run , and her stand and fight tactics can only end in such a kangaroo court environment obviously one way.

The international tolerance of this military Government is fast growing thin.

And already the broader overseas community see this trail as more a political Witch Hunt.

Hatred"s of the family that has long won every political battle democratically against the elitists it has waged.

A popular passive kind legitimate PM female who internationally is very much in the spotlight about to be prosecuted under very dubious circumstances and most likely jailed.

The Government must sense ( if it has any rationale into consequences) that such a move will incite harsh international outrage .Boycotts and sanctions would not be out of the question , and long term friends would seem to be quickly distancing themselves away.

Australia already bans the junta from visits there.

UN has made strong requests regarding military courts .

The domestic outrage might be useful for the military to justify a delay in elections ( which look in any case influenced already) but it also knows it would be far less tolerated and would begin to suffer further in an international hostile environment .

The only winner being China who seeks to move closer in its ties .

Thailand strangely seems at a cross road .

If it takes the elitist position to the point where she ( YS) is jailed .

Many observers will view it as a pivotal point of no return for this general.

The chance of huge social unrest also remains a real possibility .

But in any case the Americans in Particular wont stomach a military state jailing a popular democratically elected PM for nothing other than spite and power play.

It will spell the beginning of the end for the military coup and its hopes of winning international belief.

Another one who has forgotten about the "misplaced" billions.

Cuckoo land

[tbthailand]

political activist Suriyasai Katasila

it almost seems like the Nation doesn't want you to know that this person was the Sec-General for the PAD's political party...

political activist sounds so much more benign than screaming-yellow-fascist leader.

[Prbkk]

political activist Suriyasai Katasila

it almost seems like the Nation doesn't want you to know that this person was the Sec-General for the PAD's political party...

political activist sounds so much more benign than screaming-yellow-fascist leader.

The same nutter who claimed Thaksin was supplying arms to the Tamil Tigers but in this climate even the genuine whack jobs get a voice.

[ramrod711]

He said Yingluck had not confirmed that she was ready to appear at the court to hear the charges against her.

Oh well then, I'm sure no one would want to inconvenience her. When she is ready, round about the twelfth of never, perhaps she could give the Ministry of Justice a call. I hope that will not interrupt her busy schedule. You people who keep blathering on about the "elite" need to understand that she is elite, poor old Somchai doesn't get to tell the courts that he isn't ready, he appears or he get's his ass thrown in jail.

[thesetat2013]

Dispite the fanatical elitist support on this site ( which by the way damages it's popularity with thinking people) that want YS blood , increasingly audacious verminous remarks like those above will only corner the Government.

Increasingly , it looks like YS won't run , and her stand and fight tactics can only end in such a kangaroo court environment obviously one way.

The international tolerance of this military Government is fast growing thin.

And already the broader overseas community see this trail as more a political Witch Hunt.

Hatred"s of the family that has long won every political battle democratically against the elitists it has waged.

A popular passive kind legitimate PM female who internationally is very much in the spotlight about to be prosecuted under very dubious circumstances and most likely jailed.

The Government must sense ( if it has any rationale into consequences) that such a move will incite harsh international outrage .Boycotts and sanctions would not be out of the question , and long term friends would seem to be quickly distancing themselves away.

Australia already bans the junta from visits there.

UN has made strong requests regarding military courts .

The domestic outrage might be useful for the military to justify a delay in elections ( which look in any case influenced already) but it also knows it would be far less tolerated and would begin to suffer further in an international hostile environment .

The only winner being China who seeks to move closer in its ties .

Thailand strangely seems at a cross road .

If it takes the elitist position to the point where she ( YS) is jailed .

Many observers will view it as a pivotal point of no return for this general.

The chance of huge social unrest also remains a real possibility .

But in any case the Americans in Particular wont stomach a military state jailing a popular democratically elected PM for nothing other than spite and power play.

It will spell the beginning of the end for the military coup and its hopes of winning international belief.

You are a fool to believe all the garbage you wrote. The majority of people want justice and don't care if YL is jailed. Only the hard core reds would claim foul and start trouble.

As for the US and the rest of the world. They may claim she is a political prisoner but as long as the junta hold elections they will do nothing to Thailand against for convicting her. Just look at Thak and the evidence is there. They don't care about anything except elections being held here.

As for YL! She is already moving her money out of Thailand making it harder for the courts to make her pay for negligence if she is convicted. Every told her how the scheme was corrupt but she was obstanant and refused to look clearly at it. That was her milkpot to the poor. She even tried to pay the farmers by getting money illegally in the end knowing they were her salvation.

It is time a politician faces there actions with some honor and admit they were wrong. This has not happened yet by her.

If you ever actually read the news you would know people and courts are more lenient if you admit wrong.

Up to now even with all of the proof against her she still maintains innocence when really it is probably just ignorance. She never knew what really was happening in that scheme so she is really negligent.

[Gunna]

From planet Pluto, next to Uranus

" Dispite the fanatical elitist support on this site ( which by the way damages it's popularity with thinking people) that want YS blood "

In other words comments saying YS should get locked up get more likes than comments saying she should go free to spend her families ill gotten gains.

So his comment should read

( which by the way damages it's popularity ONLY with RED thinking people)

If you don't like comments from free thinking people here, with facts instead of emotional arguments, then try posting elsewhere

[NeverSure]

You are a fool to believe all the garbage you wrote. The majority of people want justice and don't care if YL is jailed. -snip-

Nice talk.

You are the one who doesn't get it. The international community believes that this junta is illegal and doesn't have the right to prosecute anyone, especially its political foes.

You are trying to make an argument for court, but for an illegal court. The junta was illegal. It has no standing with the Western world. In the eyes of the Western world the junta (I can't call it what it really is due to forum rules) isn't empowered to do anything. Anything.

Get it?

End of.

[The Deerhunter]

No, they wouldn't want the statute of limitations run out as it did with so many of the "Bangkok elite" and their scandals from the 90s. Different side though, that was OK.

Someone else confused about the responsibilities that one government faced with people (including an MP?) rioting with firearms and urging 1,000,000 redshirts to bring a litre of petrol each to burn Bangkok, and the responsibilities of another government in sacking people to try & conceal that they were consciously either losing or stealing billions.

Edited February 16, 2015 by The Deerhunter

[NoBrainer]

You are a fool to believe all the garbage you wrote. The majority of people want justice and don't care if YL is jailed. -snip-

Nice talk.

You are the one who doesn't get it. The international community believes that this junta is illegal and doesn't have the right to prosecute anyone, especially its political foes.

You are trying to make an argument for court, but for an illegal court. The junta was illegal. It has no standing with the Western world. In the eyes of the Western world the junta (I can't call it what it really is due to forum rules) isn't empowered to do anything. Anything.

Get it?

End of.

And who really cares what the western world thinks & does. They are mostly all crooks as well, only interested in the self preservation of their security states at the expense of their citizens and the earth.

This is Thailand & Thailand needs to get it's house in order for all Thais, not to kow tao to some foreign countries to try to look good.

Now on with the proceedings, and all you apologists can just sit back and pull your hair out.

[Thailand]

Based on what has been said she won't have to delay too long with elections promised next February as there is no way any of the current parties will beat the non elites party, (red if you like).

That is of course unless the "reforms" are such that only a pre chosen party with a pre chosen pm could win.

But that would not happen here would it?

[rickirs]

"Many politicians have already escaped prosecution after committing irregularities and this has caused a breakdown in national reconciliation because people who were in the wrong refused to face justice"

Good excuse by the Junta who:

- escaped prosecution from violating the 2007 Constitution in the most egregious manner and gave itself amnesty.

- violated its own Interim Charter by negating Articles 3 and 4 with Article 44.

- committed far more than "irregularities" with its martial law

These irregulaties must stop for the sake of reconcliation:

- liberty

- human rights

- equality

Somehow the Junta seems to have forgotten its own Article 2 of the Interim Charter: Thailand is a DEMOCRATIC monarchy.

It seems a lack of memory is also a good excuse.

[jaidam]

Based on what has been said she won't have to delay too long with elections promised next February as there is no way any of the current parties will beat the non elites party, (red if you like).

That is of course unless the "reforms" are such that only a pre chosen party with a pre chosen pm could win.

But that would not happen here would it?

"the non elites party, (red if you like)."

Just to clarify. Thaksin Shinawatra, grandson of princess Jantip na ChiangMai, born into incredible riches, gifted a telecommunications monopoly, one of 3 family members to have been given the PM position in a decade, changer of laws to enrich himself and his clan at the expense of Thailand's poorest, is NOT elite.

There are some amusing opinions on TVF, but the notion that Thaksin is leader of the "non-elites" party takes the cake. Both political parties are comprised of "elites". One political party has spent a fortune on a PR campaign to persuade the uneducated that they are grassroots paupers fighting against the rich. It's a lie. As educated westerners we should be more savvy than to swallow such blatant lies.

[z42]

If she is indeed moving assets off shore then surely that raises some suspicion. especially now given the timing.

She is not innocent in this, her negligence and failings as a leader make her responsible for not making sure things were kosher on her watch.

A Pm isn't an entry level position, and her performance alone shows that she wasn't cut out for it, yet the taxpayer foots the bill for the incompetence and yet she still plays the victim & expects privilege from courts, other govts and lackeys who are expendable at best. Absolute scum

[tif]

Anyone can see that she goes out shopping for food everyday but how can she say she has no time to go to court?" he said.

She's just doing what every other criminal can do in this ridiculous little country, 'Oh sorry, can't come today, have a headache/mama/buffalo sick'. They can string that out for months. In my case the defendant made excuses eight consecutive times until the 'judge' gave up and I had to find more creative ways of bringing them to justice. And they aspire to be a First World country? Pfft.

[tif]

If she is indeed moving assets off shore then surely that raises some suspicion. especially now given the timing.

She is not innocent in this, her negligence and failings as a leader make her responsible for not making sure things were kosher on her watch.

A Pm isn't an entry level position, and her performance alone shows that she wasn't cut out for it, yet the taxpayer foots the bill for the incompetence and yet she still plays the victim & expects privilege from courts, other govts and lackeys who are expendable at best. Absolute scum

That was most certainly not the intention behind her being effectively installed by her fugitive brother.

[TheDiva]

The Finance Ministry was also assigned to carry out the rice-pledging policy, he said.

But didn't the chair of the finance ministry post audit committee get sacked when that committee came out with actual numbers of the losses from the scheme ?

Seems the finance ministry was carrying out their part of the scheme when they told the truth about the losses only to be castigated for telling the truth.

You forgot to add this snippet in your post this time. I wonder why?

It should be noted that the lady who was sacked is now a member of the NACC

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/792841-surachai-says-ms-yingluck-can-use-ex-ministers-answers-in-her-defence/#entry8953750

But was she sacked? It appears not, she was actually appointed by the person who was moved on by the Yingluck administration.

When Yingluck was in power, Areepong was replaced as Finance Ministry permanent secretary because he was seen as unable to handle the post-audit committee for the debt-ridden rice-pledging scheme.

Supa Piyajitti, a new member of National Anti-Corruption Commission, was the Finance Ministry's deputy secretary at that time and Areepong made her chairman of the committee.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/webmobile/politics/Many-top-officials-shown-the-door-30237347.html

[Plutojames88]

What would make matters extremely awkward for the Government would be her wandering into the American embassy .

[FangFerang]

Jailing YS is a mistake of tactics. She will become the Thai Aung San Suu Khyi. Hell, U2 might even write a song about it. All politicians are opportunistic liars, but retroactively prosecuting someone from the laws of a dissolved charter is like retroactively jailing someone for a violating as newly passed law. If they threw the case to the world court they would either find her not guilty or dismiss the case in short order.

Negligence has to be proven. How can you prove someone knew and failed to act? Stacking up all the accusations leveled by political opponents is not proof, nor is some vague "general understanding" that she "must have known".

According to equal treatment under the law, this means that Suthep should be tried for the crimes of his bodyguards, who among other things, stabbed a man and put him in a coma because he bumped their illegal traffic cones, and the man who was kidnapped and detained without food or water for almost a week at Lumpini before they let him crawl away.

Counting likes does not prove anything. A few hundred years ago, everyone "knew" the Earth was flat, and the center of the universe.

[tif]

Jailing YS is a mistake of tactics. She will become the Thai Aung San Suu Khyi. Hell, U2 might even write a song about it.

You are way overestimating her popularity. And the comparison with Aung San is frankly, insulting.

[dru2]

What would make matters extremely awkward for the Government would be her wandering into the American embassy .

Not to mention making matters extremely awkward for the American Embassy....

[dru2]

Jailing YS is a mistake of tactics. She will become the Thai Aung San Suu Khyi. Hell, U2 might even write a song about it.

You are way overestimating her popularity. And the comparison with Aung San is frankly, insulting.

Indeed, both deeply insulting and ridiculously naive.

[rubl]

Dispite the fanatical elitist support on this site ( which by the way damages it's popularity with thinking people) that want YS blood , increasingly audacious verminous remarks like those above will only corner the Government.

Increasingly , it looks like YS won't run , and her stand and fight tactics can only end in such a kangaroo court environment obviously one way.

The international tolerance of this military Government is fast growing thin.

And already the broader overseas community see this trail as more a political Witch Hunt.

Hatred"s of the family that has long won every political battle democratically against the elitists it has waged.

A popular passive kind legitimate PM female who internationally is very much in the spotlight about to be prosecuted under very dubious circumstances and most likely jailed.

The Government must sense ( if it has any rationale into consequences) that such a move will incite harsh international outrage .Boycotts and sanctions would not be out of the question , and long term friends would seem to be quickly distancing themselves away.

Australia already bans the junta from visits there.

UN has made strong requests regarding military courts .

The domestic outrage might be useful for the military to justify a delay in elections ( which look in any case influenced already) but it also knows it would be far less tolerated and would begin to suffer further in an international hostile environment .

The only winner being China who seeks to move closer in its ties .

Thailand strangely seems at a cross road .

If it takes the elitist position to the point where she ( YS) is jailed .

Many observers will view it as a pivotal point of no return for this general.

The chance of huge social unrest also remains a real possibility .

But in any case the Americans in Particular wont stomach a military state jailing a popular democratically elected PM for nothing other than spite and power play.

It will spell the beginning of the end for the military coup and its hopes of winning international belief.

Interesting isn't it, that the mere threat an Amply rich woman can be asked to take the responsibiliyy of her actions can cause such unrest amogst TVF posters. The domestic outrage seems fairly limited. Lots of poor Thai have enough worries to get by day-by-day to be much concerned about politics or even justice. Mind you, some may be looking forward to free hand outs again when they vote 'correctly'.

[eliotness]

Based on what has been said she won't have to delay too long with elections promised next February as there is no way any of the current parties will beat the non elites party, (red if you like).

That is of course unless the "reforms" are such that only a pre chosen party with a pre chosen pm could win.

But that would not happen here would it?

"the non elites party, (red if you like)."

Just to clarify. Thaksin Shinawatra, grandson of princess Jantip na ChiangMai, born into incredible riches, gifted a telecommunications monopoly, one of 3 family members to have been given the PM position in a decade, changer of laws to enrich himself and his clan at the expense of Thailand's poorest, is NOT elite.

There are some amusing opinions on TVF, but the notion that Thaksin is leader of the "non-elites" party takes the cake. Both political parties are comprised of "elites". One political party has spent a fortune on a PR campaign to persuade the uneducated that they are grassroots paupers fighting against the rich. It's a lie. As educated westerners we should be more savvy than to swallow such blatant lies.

It's just the same all over the world, e.g. do you really think that the leaders of the Labour Party in the UK have any notion what it is to really be a worker. Champagne socialists exist in every country, maybe TS was just a Thai example.

[angiolo]

It would be est for everyone if she ran out of Thailand.

[rubl]

No, they wouldn't want the statute of limitations run out as it did with so many of the "Bangkok elite" and their scandals from the 90s. Different side though, that was OK.

Well, first we had the Chuan Government needing to cleanup after the previous government gambled away foreign reserves. Then we had Thaksin and a coup and Surayut and Samak/Somchai and Abhisit and the red-shirt fun. How time flies when you're comfortably off.

BTW with one family member trying to stretch things, it may be a good idea to keep an eye on his clone.