BANGKOK, April 19 (TNA) – The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions summonsed defendants in a government roadshow case and issued a warrant for the arrest of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra for being absent.
The court called six defendants for the first hearing in the case of government budget spending for PR campaigns for infrastructure projects. Yingluck was among them. Five other defendants showed up. They were former deputy prime minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan, former secretary-general to the prime minister Suranand Vejjajiva, Matichon PCL, Siam Sport Syndicate PCL and Ravi Lohtong, director of Siam Sport Syndicate.
Yingluck had her lawyer Noppadol Laothong turn up at the court on her behalf. The court issued the arrest warrant because Yingluck did not give a reason for her absence.
The six were charged with malfeasance and collusion for Yingluck’s government contracting Matichon and Siam Sport Syndicate without a bidding contest to conduct the “Roadshow to Thailand’s Future Thailand 2020” project.
All the defendants denied the charges and sought a later deadline for their statements. The court approved the request and set the examination of witnesses and evidence at 9.30am on Sept 12. (TNA)
