Boon for Thailand's Shinawatras as court clears ex-PM Yingluck of negligence

[March 04, 2024]  By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's Supreme Court cleared self-exiled former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra of negligence on Monday, in a boost for an influential family whose party is back in power after a decade in the political wilderness.

Yingluck, who has lived abroad since 2017 to avoid jail over a subsidy scheme that caused billions of dollars in state losses, was cleared of favoring certain companies that received government contracts, in a unanimous decision by the top court.

The ruling comes two weeks after brother Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire figurehead of the populist political juggernaut Pheu Thai, was freed from hospital detention on parole, six months into a commuted jail sentence for abuse of power and conflicts of interest.

Handling a complaint filed by Thailand's anti-graft commission under a military-backed government, the court in a statement said Yingluck and other defendants had followed regulations in awarding 250 million baht ($6.71 million) of government contracts. The commission has 30 days to appeal.

Like Thaksin, Yingluck fled into exile to avoid prison after her government was ousted in a 2014 coup, a key milestone during two decades of political conflict between the Shinawatra family and its allies, and a network of conservatives, elite families and generals whose interests were challenged by its rise.

Thaksin had spent 15 years abroad after fleeing in the wake of his 2006 overthrow but made a dramatic return in August to face justice. He was transferred to hospital on his first night in jail and soon after, his eight-year term was commuted to one year by the king.
 

Ousted former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra greets supporters as she arrives at the Supreme Court in Bangkok, Thailand, July 21, 2017. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

His return and early release has fuelled persistent rumors that the tycoon made a behind-the-scenes deal with his powerful enemies, claims his allies and rivals have denied.

The clearing of Yingluck in the last remaining case against her could add to media speculation that she too will seek to return to Thailand. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, a close ally of the Shinawatras, has said the issue has not been raised.

Coverage of Thaksin's release has been dominated by expectations he will seek to exert influence on Srettha's government, or through his daughter Paetongtarn, who is Pheu Thai Party leader and eligible to become prime minister.

Srettha has repeatedly been asked by media if he would remain in charge with Thaksin now freed, questions he has rebuffed, insisting that he is still calling the shots in government. Thaksin has insisted he is retired and has been suffering from various health problems.

An opinion poll released on Sunday by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) showed 43% of the 1,310 respondents considered Thaksin Thailand's most influential political figure, compared to Srettha at 22%.

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat, Panu Wongcha-um and Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Martin Petty)

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