Writing on her Facebook wall, Yingluck said she would be willing to cooperate with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
“I reaffirm that I am innocent of the accusations made by the NACC,” Yingluck said on her official Facebook page.
“Even though I am accused of criminal charges and face removal (from office), as per the wishes of people who want to overthrow the government, I am willing to cooperate to establish the facts.”
She said she has always been committed to serving Thais with honesty, integrity and with her best efforts.
“I shall therefore not let them down, in particular in regard to my the responsibility to protect the interests of the Thai people and uphold our democratic system with His Majesty the King as the Head of State.”
She said NACC had confirmed she would be accorded full rights, treated fairly and transparently in the judicial process.
She initially believed that she would be accorded fair and just treatment and that sufficient witness testimony and evidence would be considered throughout the procedures, as the law specifies that the NACC must proceed promptly, but without rush, in accommodating justice for the accused.
As chairperson of the National Rice Policy Committee, Yingluck said, her work is done at the policy level while the implementation of the scheme is undertaken by government agencies in accordance with policy directions.
“The government system has its own standards and regulations. Therefore my work at the policy level does not have the authority to directly operate, order, or overrule the work of government officials in any way.”
The implementation of the projects would be in line with cabinet resolutions and based on government policy. “I have always been aware that government work and private sector work must be based on such principles and with clear delegation of duties so that there is accountability in all related issues and accountability in each procedure.”
She said that accusations had been levied against her even though she had not been involved at the operational level.
Yingluck said she submitted two official petitions the NACC on February 11, asking them to replace Professor Vicha Mahakul, an NACC member, with a new member. She was not informed about the status of the request. However on February 18, the NACC announced the charges and informed her she would be summoned to hear the charges on February 27.
“This period seems very short for the NACC to investigate a political case has never happened before.”
She also observed that a cabinet member in the last government was charged with many counts of corruption, including some related to its rice insurance scheme. Surprisingly, there had been no judicial development regarding that particular case, whereas it had taken only 21 days to investigate and bring charges against her.
On the charges that she allowed the rice-pledging scheme to continue despite the fact that many organisations warned her of possible corruption and damages, Yingluck said, “I wish to prove once again that the scheme will definitely be beneficial to the farmers as it has raised the living standards of our fellow farmers.
“More importantly, if there were indeed true justice without any hidden agenda, the NACC would not have investigated in such a hurry and delivered a verdict in a manner that has allowed society to deem it as beneficial only to those who want to topple the government.”
