Thai court demands payment of $305 million from former prime minister

Another scandal has hit Thailand's political scene — the country's Supreme Administrative Court on May 22 found former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra liable for economic damage caused to the state and ordered her to pay 10 billion baht ($305 million) in damages. Reuters reported.

Yingluck Shinawatra, the country's first female prime minister, came to power in 2011 and was ousted in a 2014 military coup. She was sentenced to five years in prison for dereliction of duty in 2017 and has been living abroad since then.

Farmer aid program — billions in losses for the state

One of the largest projects implemented during Yingluck's presidency was the "rice program," designed to provide financial assistance to farmers. Under it, the state bought rice from farmers at a 50% premium over market prices. The government intended to stimulate the agricultural sector, but this policy turned into an economic disaster - millions of tons of unsold rice were stored in warehouses and the state lost billions of baht.

The court's main conclusion: neglect of duty

The court's decision assessed Yingluck's activities as "extreme negligence". According to the judges, she failed to adequately protect the state's financial interests while in high office and put the country's budget in a difficult situation due to political populism.

At the same time, the court found the previously filed claim for damages of 35 billion baht unfounded and recognized that liability was excessive. The sentence was capped at a new amount of 10 billion baht.

Political context and the Shinawatra dynasty

The decision comes against the backdrop of the political situation in the country, with the return of the Pheu Thai party to power and the return of Yingluck's brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to his homeland after 15 years. His daughter, Phaetongthan Shinawatra, is now considered one of the most powerful political figures in the country.

The Shinawatra family sees the legal proceedings against them as political persecution and claims that the country's conservative establishment is trying to remove them from the political scene.

Yingluck's response: the verdict is far from fair

In a statement to reporters, Yingluck Shinawatra called the amount of compensation demanded by the court - 10 billion baht - "excessive and unjust." She did not deny that the decision could be politically motivated.

The decision once again exposed the extremely complex relationship between politics and the judicial system in Thailand. The military-influenced court ruling, the economic crisis caused by the farmer aid program, and the fate of a political leader - all this shows the direction in which democratic processes in Thailand are taking.

Zamin.uz editorial staff is closely following these processes. What do you think about this verdict? Is this really justice or political revenge? Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!