4-3-2024 (BANGKOK) Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who has been living in self-imposed exile for the past six years, has been cleared of negligence charges by Thailand’s Supreme Court, according to her lawyer and local media reports. The case dates back to her time in office in 2013.
Yingluck, a prominent member of the influential Shinawatra family, left the country to avoid imprisonment following a previous conviction for negligence after her government was ousted in a 2014 military coup.
The unanimous decision by the court marks another favorable outcome for the powerful Shinawatra family, whose political party, Pheu Thai, is currently in government. Recently, the family’s billionaire figurehead, Thaksin Shinawatra, was released from detention on parole after his sentence was commuted.
As of now, the court has not issued an official statement regarding the ruling.
Yingluck is the sister of former Prime Minister Thaksin, who was recently released from jail six months into an eight-year sentence. His sentence had been commuted to one year and was served under hospital detention.
The case heard on Monday stemmed from a 2022 complaint filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission against Yingluck and four others. They were accused of causing harm to the country by bypassing bidding processes in the awarding of a government contract worth 250 million baht (US$6.71 million).
Yingluck’s lawyer, Noppadon Laothong, informed Reuters that the court dropped the case against Yingluck and the others, stating that they had carried out their duties in accordance with the law and had not received any personal benefits.
Previously, Yingluck had been convicted in absentia for negligence and sentenced to five years in prison due to a government rice pledging scheme that resulted in billions of dollars in losses for the state.
Her brother Thaksin made a dramatic return to Thailand in August after spending 15 years abroad to evade imprisonment for abuse of power and corruption. Speculation has arisen regarding a potential secret political agreement between Thaksin and Thailand’s military and conservative establishment, as his return and favorable treatment have raised eyebrows. However, allies of the Shinawatra family have denied such claims.
