Judges decide when to read Yingluck verdict: Deputy PM
It is up to the panel of judges how and when they want to read the verdict in the rice-pledging scheme trial of ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra, said Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam on Monday.
The court has the option to read the verdict in Yingluck’s case in absentia, or to instead postpone the reading at their discretion, said Wissanu, a respected legal expert.
The situation is similar to the case against Thanksin Shinawatra involving a lottery scandal, in which the verdict has not been read until now because of his 2008 flight from the country, Wissanu said.
Wissanu said the recent flight of Yingluck had nothing to do with seizure of her assets, which was separately ordered by the Administrative Court.
Yingluck’s lawyer had sought a court injunction against the seizure, but the court did not issue any orders, he said. The authorities could freeze her assets, but would wait for the court’s orders first, he added.
Wissanu said Yingluck would be punished for having fled. To do otherwise would set a bad example for others, he said.
Whether Yingluck would appeal with the Supreme Court is another story, he said.