Bangkok: ‘Ajarn Olar’ points out that new evidence can be submitted in the rice pledging case, but it depends on the court.

According to Thai News Agency, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Olar Tinbangtiew, a lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science and Law at Burapha University, discussed the potential submission of new evidence in the legal case involving former Prime Minister Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra. The case pertains to allegations of negligence related to the rice pledging scheme. Dr. Olar emphasized that while new evidence can be introduced, it is ultimately up to the court to decide on its consideration. He noted that the court’s decision will weigh heavily on the conditions, reasons, and the relevance of the new evidence to the existing proceedings.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Olar elaborated that the court’s original ruling was based on negligence in the supervision of the rice pledging scheme, where Ms. Yingluck was held accountable as the policy process’s highest authority. The legal team for Ms. Yingluck aims to present evidence showing that the rice sales in the project generated sufficient revenue. However, Dr. Olar pointed out that the court’s focus was on the problematic government-to-government (G2G) rice sales, which were found to have issues that did not align with the intended principles, leading to damages. These damages were reportedly linked to individuals close to the government. Dr. Olar believes that while a new case could be filed, the court’s acceptance remains uncertain.

He further explained that the court’s perspective is based on past occurrences, highlighting the Prime Minister’s role not only as a policy maker but also as a supervisor responsible for monitoring policy implementation. Despite warnings from concerned agencies about potential issues, the problematic G2G process was allowed to proceed, resulting in negligence that caused damage. Dr. Olar expressed uncertainty about whether the court would accept the argument that selling the remaining rice and using the proceeds to offset debt absolves Ms. Yingluck from paying, as the core issue lies in the negligence at the time.

In response to concerns that the case might discourage future policy initiatives, Dr. Olar remarked that while it is beneficial to create and implement policies, responsible parties must avoid negligence. He stressed the importance of continuous supervision and the responsibility of leaders to oversee the entire process, from policy formulation to evaluation, rather than delegating solely to civil servants. Dr. Olar expressed that merely waiting for political accountability measures, such as no-confidence debates or impeachment, is insufficient, and a comprehensive approach to policy oversight is necessary.