Pichai directs for a comprehensive legal examination of Yingluck's case to ensure adherence to the judicial decision.
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Pichai orders review to enact Supreme Administrative Court ruling on Yingluck's rice-pledging compensation case
Pichai Chunhavajira, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, announced Tuesday that he's delegated his ministry's legal division to review the Supreme Administrative Court's verdict concerning Yingluck Shinawatra, former Prime Minister.
Court's Ruling on Yingluck's Lawsuit against Finance Ministry's Order No. 1351/2559
Pichai kept quiet on the court's decision regarding Yingluck's lawsuit against the Finance Ministry's Order No. 1351/2559. This order initially demanded Yingluck foot a 35.7171 billion baht compensation bill for her government's rice-pledging policy debacle.
Last week, the Supreme Administrative Court partially invalidated the order, ruling that Yingluck would be accountable for only 11.028 billion baht – about half the damage tied to a shady government-to-government rice sale deal.
Frozen Assets and Legal Disputes Regarding Yingluck and Spouse
Yingluck and her husband petitioned the court to scrap an order by the Legal Execution Department under the Justice Ministry too, freezing their assets. The court ordered the department to divide Yingluck's husband's assets and freeze the remainder to cover the 11.028 billion baht compensation.
On Monday, the Administrative Court Office clarified it lacked the power to enforce Yingluck to pay the compensation, as the Finance Ministry holds the enforcement authority. The court merely voided parts of two orders and required the relevant government agencies to reissue their orders.
Pichai's Timeframe for Implementing Court's Ruling
Pichai stated he lacked knowledge of the case's intricacies and, therefore, tasked the legal division to assess the situation and brief him. He admitted that he had no idea of the exact worth of Yingluck's assets currently frozen by the Legal Execution Department's order.
The compensation amount might be recalculated due to the rice stockpile sold under the pledging scheme, according to Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai's suggestion. Pichai said he'd consult the legal division before forming a committee to implement the court's ruling.
Officials' Comments on the Enforcement Process
Deputy Finance Minister Paopoom Rojanasakul confirmed the ruling would be enforced following due legal processes, yet had not received updates on the matter. Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong revealed the Legal Execution Department had already seized 30 asset items belonging to Yingluck and her spouse prior to the court ruling. The department will now await a revised order from the Finance Ministry in line with the ruling, Tawee added.
- TAGS
- Pichai
- Yingluck
- rice-pledging
- G-to-G
- rice deal
- politics
- Thailand
- legal proceedings
Enrichment Data:- Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira directed the legal division of his ministry to review the Supreme Administrative Court’s recent ruling regarding former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's liability in the rice-pledging compensation case. The court partially annulled the previous administrative order, which demanded Yingluck pay over 35 billion baht, ruling instead that she should be liable for approximately 10–11 billion baht—roughly half the estimated losses from fraudulent government-to-government rice sales.- Pichai has taken steps to ensure the enforcement process aligns with the court's instructions. The court clarified that it did not have the authority to order Yingluck to pay compensation directly, and enforcement falls to the Finance Ministry, which must now establish a committee to assess liability based on the ruling before proceeding.- Meanwhile, Yingluck’s legal team continues to challenge the case, submitting new evidence and requesting its reopening, although the court’s order stands pending further administrative review and action by the Finance Ministry. Asset freezes related to the compensation have been partially adjusted by the court, directing that Yingluck's husband's assets be separated before any further action is taken to recover the compensation amount.
- The review ordered by Finance Minister Pichai, following the Supreme Administrative Court ruling on Yingluck's rice-pledging compensation case, will likely involve policy-and-legislation surrounding the rice-pledging debacle, as well as general-news related to the legal proceedings.
- As the enforcement process unfolds, the politics surrounding the rice-pledging compensation case will be closely tied to the business implications, with potential changes to the amount Yingluck is required to pay, which might be recalculated based on the rice stockpile sales.
- In addition to the rice-pledging case, recent developments include Yingluck and her spouse petitioning the court to unfreeze their assets, which are currently held by the Legal Execution Department. This financial matter, along with political implications, will influence ongoing policy-and-legislation discussions within the Thai government.
