Guilty verdict delivered in absentia a month after she fled country in case related to money-losing rice subsidy scheme
Thailand’s supreme court has found the former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra guilty of negligence and sentenced her to five years in prison, a verdict delivered in absentia a month after she fled the country.
Yingluck’s exact whereabouts are unknown, although senior sources in her opposition Puea Thai party said she fled to Cambodia and flew via Singapore to Dubai. She has made no public comments since she left Thailand.
Stories of her escape, possibly assisted by several police officers, have entranced the country. Some believe she may be in London, where her family owns a residence.
Authorities are conducting DNA sampling from a Toyota Camry with fake number plates that she allegedly escaped in, with results due in a month’s time. Investigators believe that at least two cars, both a similar colour, were used in the getaway. One car was as a decoy, they say.
Three senior police officers have been detained for questioning, including a police colonel who worked in eastern Thailand.
More at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/27/yingluck-shinawatra-ex-thai-pm-sentenced-to-five-years-in-jail