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The ruling Pheu Thai Party has come to the defence of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and is exploring ways to challenge a court order requiring her to pay 10 billion baht in compensation for losses under the controversial rice-pledging scheme over a decade ago.

Pheu Thai spokesman and MP Danuporn Punnakanta told a press conference that while the party respects the Supreme Administrative Court's ruling, it will explore all remaining legal channels to contest the order.

The court's ruling last Thursday upheld arguments by the Finance Ministry in its appeal against an earlier lower-court decision. However, the court reduced the amount Yingluck must pay to 10 billion baht, less than a third of the 35.7 billion baht originally sought by the ministry.

Mr Danuporn expressed sympathy for Yingluck, claiming the rice-pledging case was politically motivated. He noted the case emerged following the 2014 military coup, with the scheme's shortcomings cited as part of the rationale for seizing power.

"Since the ruling, the party has made many inquiries," Mr Danuporn said. "Our legal team and senior party members have reviewed the case, and we believe there are still legal options available to challenge the compensation order."

One of those options, he said, involves invoking Section 75 of the Administrative Court and Procedures Act, which allows the submission of new evidence within 90 days of a ruling.

The party plans to present the sale of 18.9 million tonnes of rice left over from the rice-pledging scheme as new evidence.

The sales were conducted last year, when veteran Pheu Thai politician Phumtham Wechayachai served as commerce minister. According to Mr Danuporn, this information was not considered during the trial as the fact-finding process had already concluded.

He also criticised the investigation into corruption in the rice-pledging scheme, saying it occurred under the military regime, which issued several orders under Section 44 of the interim constitution to enable the probe.

Meanwhile, Thai Pakdee Party leader Warong Dechgitvigrom, who was an advocate for exposing irregularities in the rice-pledging scheme while serving as a Democrat MP, criticised efforts by Yingluck's allies to distort facts and portray her as a victim.

Dr Warong wrote on social media that the domestic rice price increased during the rice-pledging scheme because the government "monopolised" the market.

Bogus government-to-government schemes were set up to sell rice at low prices to companies close to the Pheu Thai Party.

There were four contracts in the first sale under Yingluck's government, which involved 6.5 million tonnes of rice. These four contracts caused the state to incur losses of around 20 billion baht, the Administrative Court ruled.

After the sale, the government was warned about corruption but instead Yingluck defended the scheme.

The rice-pledging scheme was supposed to be scrapped after a no-confidence debate in November 2012 but it was not, he said.

The anti-graft agency sent a letter to Yingluck in April 2012 that the paddy rice price in the rice pledging programme was far above market rates resulting in high costs after being milled and when transport was included. "This is the truth Yingluck must face. Who has been denied justice? Is it you or the taxpayers?" he wrote.

Source : bangkokpost