BANGKOK, March 4 (TNA) – The Supreme Court on Monday acquitted former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra of negligence in the bidding of roadshow project in 2013 and ordered the withdrawal of the warrant for her arrest.
On March 4, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions handed down the verdict, unanimously dropping charges against Yingluck and five co-defendants in the case related to the tendering process for the 240-million-baht roadshow project, filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
Other co-defendants are the then-former minister to the PM’s Office Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan, former PM’s Secretary-General Suranand Vejjajiva, Matichon Public Company, Siam Sports Syndicate Public Company and its director, Ravi Lohthong.
The court ruled unanimously with a vote of 9-0 to acquit, citing reasons that there was no evidence of negligence, misconduct or favoritism in hiring the private media companies to promote the government’s project.
In December last year, the same court also acquitted Yingluck of malfeasance in the transfer of secretary-general of the National Security Council in 2011.
Yingluck is now living abroad in self-exile to avoid jail terms over her administration’s failed rice pledging scheme after she was ousted in the 2014 military coup.
Her brother former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released on parole last month after he returned to Thailand in August last year and served a half of one-year sentence on corruption-related offences.
After his homecoming from more than a decade of self-exile, there is speculation that Yingluck might follow the suit. – 819 (TNA)
