Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’sSupreme Court on September 27 imposed a five-year imprisonment on former PrimeMinister Yingluck Shinawatra over charges of negligence in a rice subsidyscheme.
Yingluck did not show up at the court. Earlier,she failed to appear for her verdict on August 25.
Thai police on September 5 publicised evidenceshowing that Yingluck had fled the country.
Thailand’s authorities later issued an arrestwarrant for the former Prime Minister.
Yingluck was accused by the ConstitutionalCourt of Thailand for constitutional violations and abuse of power in May 2014.
In January 2015, the National LegislativeAssembly of Thailand charged Yingluck of negligence in managing the ricesubsidy programme.
The rice subsidy plan was a flagship electionpolicy that helped Yingluck sweep to power in 2011. The scheme paid farmersdouble market price for their rice and store at the government’s stockpilesacross the country.-VNA