Supreme court of Thailand to give ruling on Yingluck in late August

By APD writer Chen Jiabao

BANGKOK, July 21 (APD) -- The supreme court of Thailand announced on Friday that the verdict against former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra over her rice-pledging scheme in which she was accused of neglecting her duty, was set on Aug 25,

Yingluck engulfed by media and her fans when she appeared in front of the court building on July 21

The court will rule whether Yingluck has been derelict in preventing corruption and irregularities in the controversial scheme. If found guilty, she could face a heavy fine and a jail term up to 10 years.

Friday was the final hearing in her case in the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders.

The court allows Yingluck to make her verbal closing statement on Aug 1.

The court has turned down Yingluck's request for a constitutional court ruling on whether the court's procedures were in violation of the 2017 constitution.

Section 235 of the current 2017 charter stipulates that for the benefit of justice, the court has the authority to inquire additionally into witnesses and the evidence.

In the 26 hearings during the past two years, Yingluck has requested to the court to summon 30 witnesses.

The former premier was quickly engulfed by media and her fans who offered her red roses and kind words when she appeared. It took her more than 20 minutes to walk just 20 meters to get past the supporters and enter the court building.

Yingluck's fans offering her flowers, souvenirs and kind words

Overwhelmed by the tremendous support, Yingluck was moved to tears as she greeted her supporters who tried to reach out to her for handshakes and hugs.

Fans trying to reach out to Yingluck for handshakes and hugs

Yingluck, whose government was overthrown in a 2014 coup, is the sister of ousted populist Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was himself deposed in 2006 and, though now in self-exile, remains at the heart of a decade of divisive politics.

Yingluck was charged with negligence of duty in failing to prevent corruption in the rice-pledging scheme, her government's flagship policy. Farmers were paid inflated prices for their rice under the scheme, which is estimated to have resulted in 500 billion baht (14.7 billion U.S dollars) in losses for the state.

Yingluck's fans waved hands and cried out loudly, telling the ex-preimer they love her and encouraging her to keep fighting

She was banned from politics for five years in January 2015 after a military-appointed legislature found her guilty of mismanaging the scheme.

She also faces seizure of assets worth 35 billion baht for the scheme's losses.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)