Yingluck case needs more time

The Commerce Ministry may seek more time for a fact-finding probe before it demands financial compensation from former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra for losses in the multi-billion-baht rice pledging scandal.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Kreangam said yesterday the ministry probe looking into the case may seek another extension of the Dec 30 deadline if witnesses cannot testify on time.

Suspects have asked the ministry’s probe committee to question more witnesses on their side, said Mr Wissanu.

The committee had completed the part of the probe concerning the ministry, which could be considered the halfway stage of the process, he said.

However, the work is likely to build up if the National Anti-Corruption Commission submits more information about the case, or if there are new witnesses to question, he said.

Another ministry committee is deciding whether it should begin the process of demanding compensation immediately after the fact-finding process is complete, he said.

The statute of limitations is two years but it may be reduced to only one year if it is later discovered that private companies should also be held liable for the rice scheme’s losses, he said.

Ms Yingluck had previously called for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to file a civil lawsuit, instead of an administrative order, to seek compensation for losses incurred by the scheme.

She argued that a court hearing would give her a fair opportunity to defend herself against the state’s attempt to seize her assets, as opposed to the administrative order process which she says bypasses the courts.

Opponents, however, insisted that both demands are likely to end up in court either way.

They said Ms Yingluck can also petition the Administrative Court to revoke the order, a right which experts say she is certain to exercise.

Ms Yingluck has been charged with dereliction of duty causing damage, under Section 157 of the Criminal Code, and failure to perform her duty as a state official, under the Anti-Corruption Act 1999, to stop corruption in the scheme.

The scheme reported losses of more than 500 billion baht to the state.

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office-Holders has set Jan 15 for the first examination of prosecution witnesses in Ms Yingluck’s trial for negligence under the scheme.