ruling mandates Yingluk to repay a sum of 10 billion baht due to losses incurred from her G-to-G rice arrangement
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Administrative Court has ordered former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to pay over 10 billion baht in compensation for the financial losses caused by mismanagement and corruption in the rice pledging scheme during her administration.
The court found Yingluck responsible for dereliction of duty related to this controversial subsidy program, which led to significant financial losses due to corruption and inefficiency. The court's decision was based on holding Yingluck accountable for her failure to properly oversee the rice subsidy program, which was intended to support farmers but resulted in massive state losses.
The ruling highlights the court's stance on accountability for public financial mismanagement. However, it also underscores a division in the legal and financial consequences faced by Yingluck and her husband, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Despite Thaksin’s considerable wealth, he was not ordered to pay compensation, a contrast that places a notable financial burden on Yingluck alone.
The court's decision comes after a lower court ruled in Yingluck's favour on 2 April 2021. However, the defendants appealed the ruling, leading to the Supreme Administrative Court's recent decision. Yingluck, currently in self-exile, was represented by her lawyer Norawich Lalaeng in the Supreme Administrative Court.
The court did not hold Yingluck responsible for the general damage caused by the rice pledging scheme. Instead, it focused on the specific damage caused by alleged corruption in the government-to-government (G-to-G) rice deal. The court annulled two previous orders: one from the Finance Ministry and one from the Legal Execution Department, which had demanded Yingluck pay 35.717 billion baht in compensation and frozen her assets for auction.
Despite annulling these orders, the court ruled that Yingluck was responsible for damage amounting to 20.057 billion baht caused by alleged corruption in the G-to-G rice deal. To collect the compensation, the court ordered the separation of Anusorn's assets from Yingluck's frozen assets within 60 days before auctioning the remainder.
Yingluck and her husband, Anusorn Amorchat, were co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which they filed against nine defendants, including several government officials and departments. Yingluck failed in her duty as Prime Minister and Chair of the National Rice Policy Committee by attending only one committee meeting and ignoring warnings.
The Supreme Administrative Court has ordered former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to pay compensation of 10.028 billion baht. Meanwhile, the Legal Execution Department and the Bangkok legal execution officer were ordered to cancel the asset freeze on Anusorn's property. This ruling serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability in public office and the consequences of dereliction of duty.
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