The Legal Execution Department will start seizing assets from Yingluck Shinawatra under the civil liabilities case after receiving the details of 12 of her bank accounts from the Finance Ministry.
Ruenwadee Suwannamongkol, director-general of the Legal Execution Department, said on Monday her department had already received the bank account list and would take action as requested by the ministry.
Since the statute of limitations of this case is 10 years, the ministry can gradually send more lists to the Legal Execution Department to forfeit her assets, she added.
The Finance Ministry said on Monday it had submitted details of 12 bank accounts under Yingluck Shinawatra’s name to the Legal Execution Department two weeks ago so further action could be taken to seize her assets.
The ministry will continue to identify her other assets after its civil liabilities panel decided the former prime minister must pay 35 billion baht of the estimated 530-billion-baht damages incurred by her government’s rice-pledging programme, permanent secretary Somchai Sujjapongse said on Monday.
Mr Somchai declined the reveal the amount under her bank accounts but said the ministry was waiting for information from related agencies before sending the list of more of her assets to the Legal Execution Department.
Chaired by comptroller general Manas Jaemweha, the ministry’s civil liabilities panel decided that Ms Yingluck had to take responsibility for the damages under the 2012/13 and 2013-14 crop years, totalling 178 billion baht.
In line with the civil liabilities law, all persons responsible for damages must share the responsibilities. In Ms Yingluck case, the panel decided she take responsibility for 20% of the damages.
For the previous 2011/12 crop year and 2012 second crop of which damages were 115 billion baht, the panel decided the former prime minister did not have to take responsibility as they took place before she was warned by the National Anti-Corruption Commission, Auditor-General’s Office and Public Debt Management Office that the losses had already amounted to 200 billion baht.
Ms Yingluck is also facing a criminal penalty for negligence of duty involving the programme. The Supreme Court for politicians will rule on the case on Aug 25. If found guilty, she would face a jail term up 10 years or she may ask the one-tier court to reconsider the case as allowed under the 2017 constitution.