Former Thailand PM convicted in absentia of fund mismangement News
Former Thailand PM convicted in absentia of fund mismangement

Thailand’s Supreme Court unaminously convicted former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra [BBC profile] in absentia on Wednesday, sentencing her to five years in prison for mismanaging a rice subsidy scheme resulting in billions lost.

According to the Court, “The accused knew that the government-to-government rice contract was unlawful but did not prevent it. Which is a manner of seeking unlawful gains. Therefore, the action of the accused is considered negligence of duty.”

Yingluck pleaded not guilty to the charges in 2015 but fled [JURIST reports] the country last month. A warrant is now issued for her arrest.

In 2014 Yingluck was overthrown by a coup resulting in the military seizing control [JURIST reports] of the government.

Thailand’s political system had been unstable since the 2006 military coup [BBC report] from the decade-long clash between the traditional elitist and the Shinawatra family.

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