The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) will hold a press conference Friday morning on the progress of the rice-pledging scheme investigation in which ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra was accused of dereliction of duty.
The investgation was conducted by a joint panel between the OAG and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) set up to sort out the differences between the two agencies. The NACC asked the OAG to file a criminal case against the former prime minister last year but the OAG thought the evidence and witnesses were not enough. The then constitution requires that the NACC file such as case through the OAG but it could do so on its own as well.
If Ms Yingluck is charged criminally for dereliction of duty, she could face a maximum jail term of 10 years.
Kosolwat Inthujanyong, deputy OAG spokesman, said Thursday the OAG working committee was wrapping up its opinions on the case and would submit the case to attorney-general Trakul Winitnaiyapak to finally decide whether to indict Ms Yingluck. The panel had already forwarded parts of its report to Mr Trakul but the work has not yet been completed.
The prosecutors would issue official statements which will shed more light on the case at Friday’s conference at its office.
Mr Trakul would not be present at the briefing as he was on official duty outside Bangkok, Mr Kosolwat said.
A source at OAG said the attorney-general could indict Ms Yingluck once the investigation report was completed or order additional probes into certain issues if he saw flaws in the case file.
Meanwhile, a lawyer of Ms Yingluck said he would go to the OAG on Friday to seek justice from state prosecutors on the possible criminal indictment.
Norawit Lalaeng said he would submit a letter to the OAG on behalf of his client due to the unfair charges pressed against her.
The OAG was locked in conflicts with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), mainly on whether existing evidence and witnesses were adequate to indict her criminally for dereliction of duty which led to irregularities in the rice-pledging scheme and massive losses of state budgets.
The graft-busting agency said on Tuesday that the joint panel of the NACC and OAG had already agreed to indict her with the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.
But the state prosecutor office on Wednesday dismissed the report, saying that a joint meeting between the two agencies on Tuesday only discussed new evidence from witnesses having testified before the NACC.
Mr Norawit questioned the motive behind the NACC's claims and said any decision coming from the meeting on Tuesday was invalid if three state prosecutors did not agree to the resolution.