Yingluck stands trial for rice scheme in Supreme Court

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Yingluck stands trial for rice scheme in Supreme Court



BANGKOK: -- Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra stood trial for her controversial rice pledging scheme in the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders for the eighth time today amid a hundred of her supporters.

Today’s hearing saw two state witnesses testifying the court about her in the rice scheme which inflicted damages of over 500 billion baht to the state.

They are Supat Eawchai, assistant managing director of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, and Mr Jirachai Multongroi, deputy permanent secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office.

Ms Yingluck arrived at the court amid warm welcomevby her supporters giving her flowers.

She thanked her supporters for their concern about her.

She said as now many countries have voiced their concern about human rights and right of free expression in the country, she asked that the military junta allows such free expression of opinions.

She said that as a Thai citizen she would like to see that the upcoming referendum filled with the atmosphere that the expression of opinions is free and without concern.

She said as the referendum is expected to see large groups of people coming out to vote because it is time to choose the future of the country.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/163221


-- Thai PBS 2016-05-13

[yellowboat]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

[DaddyWarbucks]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

Fair or foul - as long as they bring down the Shinawatra clan.

This corrupt family has been a plague on Thailand.

[Cuchulainn]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

Fair or foul - as long as they bring down the Shinawatra clan.

This corrupt family has been a plague on Thailand.

+1.

[yellowboat]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

Fair or foul - as long as they bring down the Shinawatra clan.

This corrupt family has been a plague on Thailand.

Fair or foul = right or wrong ? The alternatives to the Shinawatra's are far less appealing.

[Emster23]

Are courts preparing preemptive indictments for governments proposed palm oil pledging scheme? And what became of the rubber support program? Guess that is okay because not corrupt redshirts but rather impeccable Suthep and other junta fans.

[TPI]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

Fair or foul - as long as they bring down the Shinawatra clan.

This corrupt family has been a plague on Thailand.

+1.

+2

[rubl]

"She said as now many countries have voiced their concern about human rights and right of free expression in the country, she asked that the military junta allows such free expression of opinions."

Does this have anything to do with her being able to provide her own explanation and documentation in court regarding her failed RPPS ?

[tomwct]

When is she going to prison? I'm tired of waiting!

[MZurf]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

Fair or foul - as long as they bring down the Shinawatra clan.

This corrupt family has been a plague on Thailand.

Yes, if they get rid of the Shins all corruption and nepotism will end!

[yellowboat]

"She said as now many countries have voiced their concern about human rights and right of free expression in the country, she asked that the military junta allows such free expression of opinions."

Does this have anything to do with her being able to provide her own explanation and documentation in court regarding her failed RPPS ?

As flawed as she is, she was just standing up to your loving junta's crack down on free speech and its use of intimidation.

[Baerboxer]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

Fair or foul - as long as they bring down the Shinawatra clan.

This corrupt family has been a plague on Thailand.

She's charged with negligence. Going to be very very hard for her to defend against that. Not turning up to any meetings even though she appointed herself Chair; dismissing warnings from inside and outside Thailand including the World Bank and IMF; continually claiming all was well; announcing fake G2G deals etc etc.

She will be giver every opportunity to defend herself and is calling copious witnesses. Up to now, she and her legal team, have kept to generalized and off topic comments. I doubt that will change.

The "I didn't do anything wrong, I didn't know, I was in charge of policy not operations, etc" defenses just won't cut the mustard.

[DaddyWarbucks]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

Fair or foul - as long as they bring down the Shinawatra clan.

This corrupt family has been a plague on Thailand.

Yes, if they get rid of the Shins all corruption and nepotism will end!

No, but it will be a good first step.

[Stan7444]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

A fair trial in Thailand? You got to be joking with the military now allowed to fire and hire whatever judges they require to reach a predetermined outcome. Fair that nobody is "allowed" to discuss, debate or comment in public on one of the most important national decisions they might ever have to make: A new charter which is "theorically" supposed to lead the country towards more democracy with an "appointed" Senate? Laugh that one off!

[Baerboxer]

Are courts preparing preemptive indictments for governments proposed palm oil pledging scheme? And what became of the rubber support program? Guess that is okay because not corrupt redshirts but rather impeccable Suthep and other junta fans.

Were they also multi-billion baht schemes touted as self financing? Are the Chairs of those schemes also not bothering to attend any meetings? Have the World Bank or IMF or Bloomberg or anyone warned about the consequences of those schemes? Are those schemes keeping auditable accounts? Have they engaged in and fraudulent G2G deals?

See the difference?

Nothing to do with Red Shirts. All to do with the corrupt Shin clan and their mates.

[bangkokfrog]

I can't believe that Yingluck wrote / came up with this herself. Her comments about human rights and the right of free expression are the first "States person-like" words I have heard come from her mouth, and one must wonder if things are starting to happen behind the scenes.

[Baerboxer]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

A fair trial in Thailand? You got to be joking with the military now allowed to fire and hire whatever judges they require to reach a predetermined outcome. Fair that nobody is "allowed" to discuss, debate or comment in public on one of the most important national decisions they might ever have to make: A new charter which is "theorically" supposed to lead the country towards more democracy with an "appointed" Senate? Laugh that one off!

Many countries in the world have appointed upper houses, UK,and Ireland for starters.

PTP blocked the election of provisional governors preferring that they appointed them. So much for their democracy.

[rubl]

"She said as now many countries have voiced their concern about human rights and right of free expression in the country, she asked that the military junta allows such free expression of opinions."

Does this have anything to do with her being able to provide her own explanation and documentation in court regarding her failed RPPS ?

As flawed as she is, she was just standing up to your loving junta's crack down on free speech and its use of intimidation.

Much more trying to suggest that she's an innocent victim I think. Remember democracy died the day she was asked to show the responsibility which goes with "I'm in charge" ?

[Baerboxer]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

Fair or foul - as long as they bring down the Shinawatra clan.

This corrupt family has been a plague on Thailand.

Yes, if they get rid of the Shins all corruption and nepotism will end!

Highly doubtful, in fact almost certainly not. But it would remove a very corrupt and ruthless family and cronies headed by a serious criminal who were doing their utmost to put themselves above the law and into a position where they could never be removed.

What ever others have, are and will do is not an excuse or justification for what the Shins have and would like to continue doing.

[Baerboxer]

"She said as now many countries have voiced their concern about human rights and right of free expression in the country, she asked that the military junta allows such free expression of opinions."

Does this have anything to do with her being able to provide her own explanation and documentation in court regarding her failed RPPS ?

As flawed as she is, she was just standing up to your loving junta's crack down on free speech and its use of intimidation.

Much more trying to suggest that she's an innocent victim I think. Remember democracy died the day she was asked to show the responsibility which goes with "I'm in charge" ?

Of course. She has little if any defense against the charge of negligence. Better to try and make it a trial about HR, freedom of speech etc and try and divert attention from the actual charge and realities of her behavior in relation to those charges.

Still, whatever happens she'll never see the inside of a prison cell, or by too inconvenienced. Maybe some loss of money, some loss of face, and loss of opportunity at the trough.

[Surin1969]

This Time no chance to escape justice like youre Older Brother Miss Ying No luck Shinawatra :-)

[MZurf]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

Fair or foul - as long as they bring down the Shinawatra clan.

This corrupt family has been a plague on Thailand.

Yes, if they get rid of the Shins all corruption and nepotism will end!

Highly doubtful, in fact almost certainly not. But it would remove a very corrupt and ruthless family and cronies headed by a serious criminal who were doing their utmost to put themselves above the law and into a position where they could never be removed.

What ever others have, are and will do is not an excuse or justification for what the Shins have and would like to continue doing.

"Highly doubtful, in fact almost certainly not. But it would remove a very corrupt and ruthless family and cronies headed by a serious criminal who were doing their utmost to put themselves above the law and into a position where they could never be removed."

Indeed, although IMO the present bunch win hands down in the "trying to stack the deck department" with their proposed new charter.

"What ever others have, are and will do is not an excuse or justification for what the Shins have and would like to continue doing."

True. The Shins presided over a few administrations that truly had some mind boggling characters (Thai defamation law prevents me from saying exactly what I feel about them). Their only redeeming quality was that they were elected and could be ousted by voting, something the present bunch weren't and can't.

[Winniedapu]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

Fair or foul - as long as they bring down the Shinawatra clan.

This corrupt family has been a plague on Thailand.

Well, the Shinawatra clan is/was not the only plague on Thailand, nor even the biggest. If by the 'Shinawatra clan' you mean Thaksin then it's worth remembering that he is one person, and so far as I know, no evidence has come to light against any other member of the family. Thaksin was a minnow - yes he had his snout in the trough but so did everyone else. It was that way because corruption has been a problem in Thailand ever since government officials were not given a salary and were expected to generate their own stipend - since at least 2 centuries ago and probably longer. Corruption is an integral part of the Thai modus and extends from the Pooyay Baans upwards, throughout the system, and I will give no prizes for guessing where it all starts and finishes. Oddly though, I don't recall seeing you (or anyone else) spitting ships about *that* corruption, perhaps *that* corruption is OK...

I would have thought that if the objective was to get rid of Thaksin, then the government would do exactly as they have done. But if they wanted to get rid of corruption, then they would have started somewhere else, with bigger fish. Lots of people think they ought to have started with the army, but we can all guess why they didn't do that - not for lack of evidence, colloquial and otherwise. To date, despite what the good general fearlessly talks about (and talk is all that it is), I am not aware that anyone has done prison time for corruption, even though there is certainly no shortage of easy targets. One must conclude that corruption is not the target, but opposition is.

I do not believe that the PTP subsidies were corruption,,most countries subsides their poor in one way or another. The implementers of the subsidies, were Thais so corruption should always be assumed - subject to proof. I do not believe Yingluck was corrupt or benefited from the corruption of others. If she was or if she did you may safely assume that the good general's purposes would have been admirably served by banging her up. But she is still free as a bird because there is no evidence of either - she's a hostage, a target for spite and a grab for legitimacy, a symbol for the focus of minority hatred, nothing more. If I am proved wrong then I will cheerfully recant this belief bit for now, I believe the belief is reasonable enough, given the evidence or lack of it.

One should always remember that Yingluck did not commit treason, her assets were stated and examined numerous times, being a matter of public record, and to the best of my knowledge, she did not participate in nepotism, nor shield those who did.

Unreasoning and irrational hatred is one thing. Facts supported by actual evidence are quite another, though perhaps less to the irrational person's liking.

Winnie

Edited May 13, 2016 by Winniedapu

[gamini]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

Fair or foul - as long as they bring down the Shinawatra clan.

This corrupt family has been a plague on Thailand.

Fair or foul = right or wrong ? The alternatives to the Shinawatra's are far less appealing.

obviously far less appealing to you and all the red shirt supporters, but not to the rest of us

[Koosdedooes]

She will be found guilty sentenced to 2 years, ask if she can go on a shopping trip to buy a new handbag in Paris and run away and live with big bruv in the land of camel herders

[Alwyn]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

Fair or foul - as long as they bring down the Shinawatra clan.

This corrupt family has been a plague on Thailand.

and yet the majority of Thais still prefer them to all of the other alternatives. What does that tell you? Better the devil you know maybe?

[Alwyn]

and of course, there's no military/political agenda in this farce

[Rayk]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

Fair or foul - as long as they bring down the Shinawatra clan.

This corrupt family has been a plague on Thailand.

As has the many thousands of other corrupt individuals.

[Winniedapu]

Not a great idea, but one wonders if she will get a fair trial.

Fair or foul - as long as they bring down the Shinawatra clan.

This corrupt family has been a plague on Thailand.

Fair or foul = right or wrong ? The alternatives to the Shinawatra's are far less appealing.

obviously far less appealing to you and all the red shirt supporters, but not to the rest of us

Well, the 'rest of you' appears to have declined in numbers over the past few months. The old stalwarts are still there though. Nothing is quite the enemy of irrationality like reality. Inconvenient I will grant, but in general, reality is real.

Odd how Thaksin and those he sponsors keep winning free and fair elections... really odd. Almost like the majority of the Thai electorate agrees with me. Very strange.

Winnie

Edited May 13, 2016 by Winniedapu

[chainarong]

Not that I'm into coloured tee shirts, this case not only sets a precedent , I would say it isn't going to improve any reconciliation within the community either, I don't care what people think about the Shinawatra family , you need to understand that they have an enormous power base , and everyone of them is lying doggo at the moment , in years past the family was well respected and that's what the older established Thais remember........................................