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Thailand’s Supreme Court, on Monday, acquitted self-exiled former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra of negligence charges dating back to her time in office in 2013, according to her lawyer and local media reports.
Yingluck, a prominent figure in the influential Shinawatra family, has been residing overseas for the past six years to evade imprisonment following a previous conviction for negligence after her government was ousted in a 2014 military coup.
The unanimous decision by the court marks a favourable outcome for the Shinawatra family, whose party Pheu Thai currently holds government power. Recently, the family’s billionaire figurehead, Thaksin Shinawatra, was released from detention on parole with a commuted sentence.
Yingluck is sister of the former premier Thaksin, who was recently freed after spending six months of an eight-year jail sentence that was commuted to a year and was served in hospital detention.
The court’s ruling stems from a 2022 complaint by the National Anti-Corruption Commission, accusing Yingluck and four others of damaging the country by allegedly disregarding bidding processes in awarding a government contract worth 250 million baht ($6.71 million).
Lawyer Noppadon Laothong confirmed that the court dropped the case against Yingluck and others, citing that they had acted in accordance with the law and did not receive any personal benefits.
Yingluck had previously been convicted in absentia for negligence and sentenced to five years in prison over a government rice pledging scheme that incurred significant losses to the state.
Meanwhile, Thaksin Shinawatra made a notable return to Thailand in August after spending 15 years abroad to avoid imprisonment for abuse of power and corruption charges.
His return and favourable treatment have led to speculation about a potential political agreement with Thailand’s military and conservative establishment, although allies of the Shinawatra family have denied such claims.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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