NLA defers debate over Yingluck impeachment

NLA defers debate over Yingluck impeachment

Ruangkrai seeks halt to move against ex-PM

The National Legislative Assembly's whips have deferred consideration of the proposed impeachment of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra in connection with the controversial rice pledging scheme to Nov 28.

The postponement came after Ms Yingluck's lawyer requested the deliberation be put off for 30 days to allow more time for her to study the impeachment case files more thoroughly, NLA whip spokesman Jet Siratharanon said after a meeting.

Just three and a half years ago, Yingluck Shinawatra was being groomed as leader of the Pheu Thai Party. She faces a delayed impeachment hearing at the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Nov 28. (File photo)

The whips were informed in a report that written notification about the impeachment deliberation reached Ms Yingluck last Friday and she is entitled to 15 more days to study the document, said Dr Jet.

But since the 15th day falls on Nov 22, a Saturday, the NLA decided to defer the first round of the impeachment deliberation to its next meeting on Nov 28, he said.

The NLA is also due to consider the proposed impeachment of ex-Senate speaker Nikom Wairatpanij and ex-House speaker Somsak Kiatsuranon on Nov 27.

The impeachment bids were being pursued against the two for their support of an attempt to amend the 2007 charter to make the Senate fully elected, which the Constitutional Court has ruled was in breach of Section 68 of the charter that prohibits unconstitutional efforts to seize power.

NLA member Somchai Sawaengkarn, in his capacity as secretary of the NLA whips, said a second postponement of the impeachment deliberation is unlikely. 

Meanwhile, Ruangkrai Leekijwattana, a member of the Pheu Thai Party's legal team, submitted a petition to Senate secretary-general Norarat Phimsen, as secretary-general of the NLA, requesting the NLA scrap its planned impeachment deliberation against Ms Yingluck.

The NLA, however, decided after discussing Mr Ruangkrai's move that he was not actually involved in the matter.

Mr Ruangkrai had argued the interim charter doesn't grant impeachment power to the NLA and it was misinterpreting the term "other affairs" in Section 13 of the charter to claim it covers impeachment.

Aside from Tuesday's petition, Mr Ruangkrai said he has also petitioned the Office of the Ombudsman to consider requesting the Constitutional Court to interpret ambiguity in the interim charter.

Mr Ruangkrai also warned the NLA that it risks being viewed as violating the interim constitution if it goes ahead with the impeachment bid while it remains unclear whether it actually has the power to do any of that.

Ms Yingluck has been accused of negligence for failing to stop corruption and losses in the rice pledging scheme. She chaired the National Rice Policy Committee (NRPC) when she was prime minister.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has found Ms Yingluck, as the leader of the last government, must be held responsible for its failure to honour its pledge to fight corruption and improve agricultural product prices as declared in parliament on Aug 23, 2011, said an NLA source. 

The NACC had formally cautioned Ms Yingluck twice, once on Oct 7, 2011 and again on April 30, 2012, over corruption in the rice scheme and recommended that she take action against it, said the source.

Furthermore, the sub-committee set up by the NRPC to report the rice scheme's balance sheets had informed Ms Yingluck three times about the rises in the project's accumulated losses, said the same source.

The first time the sub-committee reported to Ms Yingluck was on May 31, 2011 when it found the preliminary losses facing the scheme came to 32.3 billion baht, said the source.

The second time Ms Yingluck was informed by the same panel was on Jan 31 last year when the project's total losses reached 220.9 billion baht, said the source.

The last time the sub-committee reported to Ms Yingluck was on May 31 last year when the scheme's accumulated losses had amounted to 332.3 billion baht, the same source said.

Besides, the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) also sent a formal letter to Ms Yingluck to warn her about the corruption risks in all processes of the scheme's implementation; but Ms Yingluck insisted on going ahead with the project, said the source.

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