The National Anti-Corruption Commission rushed its decision to recommend indictment against former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra over the loss-ridden rice-pledging scheme because she was leaving for a European vacation, her lawyer said Friday.
The NACC's decision to ask the attorney-general to indict Ms Yingluck Thursday was unexpected and Ms Yingluck's legal team will be seeking relief from the attorney-general, Phichit Chuenban said.
The lawyer said that his team would seek fair treatment from the attorney-general, as the NACC had argued against Ms Yingluck's proposed witnesses, used a special investigative process that wrapped up in just 21 days and left Ms Yingluck no opportunity to defend herself over new questions about the release of government rice.
Mr Phichit said there was no need for haste simply because of Ms Yingluck's plan to tour Europe from next week to early next month. He said the holiday with her family had long been planned and the former premier was not using the trip to flee charges against her.
The NACC should not rush submitting its investigative report to block Ms Yingluck's trip, Mr Phichit said, because legally it still had 14 more days to do so.