The army chief confirmed on Tuesday there was progress in the investigation into the escape of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra who failed to show up at the Supreme Court on Aug 25 to hear a ruling on her rice-pledging scheme.
Police were examining footage from dozens of surveillance cameras around the clock to track suspicious vehicles but the task would take time, Gen Chalermchai Sittisad said.
There were many suspicious vehicles and detectives had to check dozens of cameras for each of those vehicles, he said.
"There is progress. When the time's right, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit [Wongsuwon] and deputy national police chief Pol Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul will elaborate on the issue," said Gen Chalermchai who is also the secretary-general of the National Council for Peace and Order.
"I have learned from the deputy prime minister that the case has progressed. There's nothing to worry about."
Authorities did not turn a blind eye on Ms Yingluck's disappearance, the army chief said. He declined to confirm if some officials had helped her escape.
He also said that there was no evidence that Ms Yingluck had left the country but authorities based their investigation on the assumption that she had.
The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions postponed the announcement of its ruling on the loss-ridden and corruption-plagued rice-pledging scheme from Aug 25 to Sept 27 due to the disappearance of Ms Yingluck.
Her lawyer said on Aug 25 she suffered vertigo but there was no medical certificate to support the excuse. The court was not convinced and issued a warrant for her arrest.
Ms Yingluck was charged with dereliction of duty for failing to stop the rice-pledging scheme despite warnings by concerned authorities. If found guilty, she could be liable to a jail term of up to 10 years.
