Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck sentenced to 5 years in prison

Thailand's Supreme Court today sentenced former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to five years in prison for violations related to a rice subsidy program that caused billions of dollars in losses to the Thai government.

Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Photo: Reuters

News agencyStraits TimesThe Supreme Court of Thailand has sentenced Ms. Yingluck to five years in prison at the impeachment hearing held this morning, September 27. The verdict was given when Ms. Yingluck failed to appear in court.

NewspaperThe NationIt was previously reported that the nine Supreme Court judges had reached a consensus on the verdict against Ms. Yingluck at 7:00 a.m. this morning. The verdict was originally scheduled to be announced at 9:00 a.m. this morning, but was postponed to give the judges more time to compile evidence and testimony from three suspects who are believed to have "assisted" Ms. Yingluck in her escape.

Although there was no security threat surrounding the impeachment trial of Ms. Yingluck today, Bangkok authorities deployed more than 300 officers to ensure security inside and outside the court. Many of Ms. Yingluck's supporters showed up very early, gathering outside the court.

Mr. Norrawit Larlaeng, Ms. Yingluck's lawyer, was also present in court and said that since Ms. Yingluck "disappeared" last month, he had not received any contact from her.

Mr Norrawit declined to say what his plans would be after the court's ruling, or whether Ms Yingluck's absence would affect her right to appeal. "We'll wait and see what the verdict is," he said.

A large number of Yingluck's supporters were present at the Supreme Court before the impeachment hearing on the morning of September 27. Photo: Nation

Yingluck, 50, Thailand’s first female prime minister, was ousted in a military coup in 2014. She was accused of negligence in a rice subsidy scheme that cost the government billions of dollars. Observers had previously said that if found guilty, she would face up to 10 years in prison and a lifetime ban from politics under a new military-drafted constitution.

She was absent from the impeachment hearing on the morning of August 25, forcing the trial to be postponed to September 27. Thai media quoted various sources saying that Ms. Yingluck may have fled to Cambodia and Singapore before catching a flight to Dubai and possibly seeking political asylum in the UK.

A day before the impeachment trial this morning, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said he knew Yingluck's current whereabouts, but would not reveal them until the court pronounced sentence on her.

According to Dan Tri