ฺBANGKOK, May 22 (TNA) – Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court is scheduled to deliver its verdict today in a high-stakes case challenging a government order for former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to pay 35.7 billion baht ($968 million) in civil damages related to her administration’s controversial rice-pledging scheme.
Yingluck is appealing a Ministry of Finance order, issued under the previous military-backed government’s Section 44 powers, which holds her accountable for 20% of the estimated 178.5 billion baht in losses from the scheme. This figure was derived from the period after she was allegedly made aware of potential damages. While a Supreme Court, Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions previously sentenced her to five years in prison for failing to halt the scheme’s losses, that court had cited potential damages as high as 280 billion baht.
The Central Administrative Court in 2021 initially revoked the finance ministry’s order, arguing that the civil liability committee failed to thoroughly investigate other potentially liable officials and the full extent of damages. The Supreme Administrative Court’s ruling today could either uphold this decision, absolving Yingluck of payment; reverse it, forcing her to pay the 35.7 billion baht; or modify the amount at its discretion. -819 (TNA)
