Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra insists she will not try to evade prosecution and flee into exile following the national anti-graft agency's abrupt decision to indict her for failing to deal with corruption and losses in the rice-pledging scheme.
Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, accompanied by lawyers, arrives at a Bangkok hotel for a press conference to counter the National Anti-Corruption Commission’s decision to seek her indictment for alleged malfeasance. Kosol Nakachol
Ms Yingluck yesterday also lashed out at the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for "unfair practices" in the investigation against her.
"I am now an ordinary Thai person and I should have the same rights as all Thais. I will not abandon Thais and will return to Thailand," she said at a press conference yesterday.
She denied her planned trip to Europe was to escape legal prosecution in the rice-pledging case.
The trip, scheduled for July 20 to Aug 10, had been planned before the NACC reached its decision.
It was earlier speculated Ms Yingluck might go into self-imposed exile after she sought permission from the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to travel to Europe.
Yesterday, just a day after the NCPO announced its approval for Ms Yingluck's travel plans, the NACC quickly ruled by a vote of 7-0 that there is sufficient grounds to pursue dereliction of duty allegations against her.
The recommendation to indict her for failing to scrap the pledging scheme despite knowing it was plagued with corruption and huge losses will be submitted to the Attorney-General's Office.
Reading from a prepared statement, Ms Yingluck questioned the NACC's decision to proceed with the case against her, which she claimed was "put together in haste".
She also suggested she was being treated unfairly.
"The NACC took only 21 days to consider and decide to charge me and took only 140 days to make the decision to recommend to indict me," she said. "That has never happened before."
The former prime minister meanwhile accused the NACC of "selective hearing" when it considered her case and said the NACC chose to hear witnesses who were hostile towards her.
She also said the agency refused to wait for the completion of rice stock checks, adding that the NACC's conclusion the rice-pledging scheme had caused 500 billion baht in damage to the state was inaccurate and unfair.
Originally scheduled at 11am, Ms Yingluck's press briefing was delayed by two hours. Her lawyers did not want her to speak at the press conference out of concerns she could be violating the NCPO's ban on political activities.
Ms Yingluck insisted on taking the microphone in part because she wanted to defend her planned trip to Europe.
Ms Yingluck's lawyer, Phichit Chuenban, yesterday called on the NACC and the public prosecution "not to rush things".
He said the NACC has 14 days to write up a report and submit it to the Attorney-General's Office.
A joint committee can be set up if the prosecution believes there are questions that need to be answered.
Mr Phichit said the defence team will bring eight witnesses rejected by the NACC to the court if the prosecution goes ahead with the indictment.
Ms Yingluck's request that the NACC question eight more witnesses on her behalf was rejected by the NACC. Her defence lawyers say this left her with no opportunity to defend herself over questions involving the release of government rice stocks.
Mr Phichit expressed confidence the defence team could win the case in court.
If indicted she will be tried in the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.
"But at this stage we are looking for fair treatment from the prosecutors," Mr Phichit said.
"Since she was slapped with the charges, we tried to point out how unfairly she was treated by the NACC.
"It should listen to her side of the story."
NACC member Vicha Mahakhun said yesterday the case is likely to be forwarded to the prosecution next week.
He said it is not possible to submit the case before Ms Yingluck leaves for Europe and the NACC is not in a position to ask the NCPO to ban the ex-premier's trip.
Attorney-General Trakul Winitnaiyapak said a working team will be set up to study the case.
He said he feels no pressure in handling such a high-profile case and insisted the final decision will be based on facts and evidence.
Meanwhile, NCPO spokesman Winthai Suvaree said Ms Yingluck did not need permission to speak out about the case, saying discussing the issue did not amount to a political activity.