Third arrest warrant for Yingluck

Third arrest warrant for Yingluck

Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra meets supporters while arriving at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions in Bangkok on Aug 1 for her closing statement in her rice scheme case. (Photo by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra meets supporters while arriving at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions in Bangkok on Aug 1 for her closing statement in her rice scheme case. (Photo by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)

A third arrest warrant has been issued for former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, this time for sneaking out of the country, police said on Thursday.

The Southern Bangkok Criminal Court issued the warrant on Wednesday for her failure to use an official border checkpoint to travel out of the country, Pol Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said.

Details of the warrant would be sent to police units nationwide, including all immigration checkpoints, he said.

It is the third arrest warrant for Yingluck. The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions issued the first on Aug 25, when she breached bail and failed to show up to hear the judgement in her rice scheme trial. The second bench warrant was issued on Sept 27, when it read the ruling in her absence.

Anusorn Iamsa-ard, acting spokesman for her Pheu Thai Party, on Thursday denied reports that Yingluck could be granted political asylum in Britain and would form a government in exile, standing against the present government.

The reports were groundless and all Pheu Thai members wanted to support national order and reconciliation, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon repeated on Thursday he did not have a secret meeting with Yingluck in the UK during his Sept 12-15 trip to meet the British defence minister and a deputy foreign minister. Authorities said earlier that Yingluck had left Dubai for Britain on Sept 11.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Busadee Santipitaks confirmed on Thursday the ministry was still considering the police request for the revocation of Yingluck's passports. It would report progress on the issue later.

The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions convicted and sentenced Yingluck to five years in prison for failure to stop fake and corrupt government-to-government sales of rice under her government's  rice support programme, even though she had been made aware of the irregularities.

She is believed to have left the country on Aug 23, surreptitiously crossing the border at night into Cambodia from Sa Kaeo province. The police investigation into those who helped her flee is continuing.

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