Former leader Yingluck has fled Thailand after skipping court hearing, says party source
Former leader’s whereabouts unknown as government also admits she may not be in Thailand after avoid verdict hearing of negligence trial
Thailand’s ex-prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has fled Thailand, a senior party source said, after she skipped a court appearance on Friday that could have seen her jailed, prompting the Supreme Court to issue a warrant for her arrest.
Thousands of supporters – outnumbered by police – waited from dawn for a glimpse of the ousted leader, but she did not show. A senior party source said “she is definitely no longer here, she is likely in Singapore now”.
In a day of high drama, Yingluck missed her court hearing for negligence over a controversial rice subsidy scheme, which carried up to 10 years in prison and a lifetime ban from politics.
“Her lawyer said she is sick and asked to delay the ruling ... the court does not believe she is sick ... and has decided to issue an arrest warrant,” fearing she may flee the country, lead judge Cheep Chulamon told the court, rescheduling the verdict to September 27.
A minister in her government was jailed hours later for 42 years in a separate trial for corruption linked to the policy.