PM’s Office chief vows to fight Yingluck’s counter-suit in rice-pledging case
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Jirachai Moonthongroi, permanent secretary of the PM’s Office, says he is ready to defend the government’s civil liability lawsuit against former premier Yingluck Shinawatra in court, after she filed a misconduct charge against him for allegedly failing to conduct proper hearings of witnesses in the case concerning her government’s rice-pledging scheme.
Jirachai, who was chairman of the committee which sought massive compensation of Bt280 billion from Yingluck for causing financial damage to the state in regard to the rice-pledging scheme, said the action he had taken was honest and supported by the panel tasked with taking civil liability measures against the former premier, whose pledging programme was found to have resulted in a huge loss of taxpayers’ money.
The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases will hold a hearing on April 21 on Yingluck’s counter-lawsuit against Jirachai, who is accused in the misconduct charge of violating Article 157 of the Criminal Code due to his alleged failure to conduct a proper hearing of witnesses in the rice-pledging case.
