Legal action against Yingluck legitimate, says Sansern
Government Spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd yesterday stressed the legitimacy of legal action being taken against former premier Yingluck Shinawatra in relation to the rice-pledging scheme, despite her pleas for the government to reconsider the m
Sansern also expressed displeasure at the decision of Yingluck and her lawyer Norrawit Larlaeng to make the letters addressed to PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha open to the public.
“Why do they give hints to the plaintiff [the government]?” he asked. “They could just let us blunder on so they are at an advantage if the court sees their point of view."
The government needs to take action against Yingluck, he continued, as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) had submitted the case to the Finance Ministry as long ago as February. Prayut and the finance minister had to set up an investigative committee as per the Liability for Wrongful Act of Officials Act.
This Act needs to be used in this case, he continued, as its Article 4 states that the Act covers civil servants, officers, employees and other kinds of government workers. Yingluck, as prime minister, was the head of the National Rice Committee.
Although Article 4(1) says that the Act is not applicable to Parliament and the Cabinet, Yingluck cannot be exempted as the actions in question were taken on an individual basis, not as a Cabinet member, Sansern explained.
The investigative committee had invited Yingluck a couple of times, but had received terse written replies, he revealed, adding that this might be because the former premier tends to give rambling explanations in speech.
"She chose this [written] way of communication to buy time," he said.
Yingluck is welcome to submit more evidence regarding the case, because what has been submitted so far is unusable, he added.
