Former Prime Minister Ms. Yingluck returns to Thailand

Former Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is facing legal allegations in her country, has returned to Thailand from her vacation, media reported on Monday.

Ms. Yingluck arrived at Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport on Sunday night from Singapore, the Bangkok Post reported.

She left Thailand for a holiday in Europe and the US after she was granted permission to leave the country between July 23 and Aug 10. She was required to request permission because of pending legal allegations against her.

Ms. Yingluck will have to fight a high-profile case in which the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has accused her of negligence of duty in overseeing a controversial rice-pledging scheme.

The NACC has forwarded the case to the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) for indictment.

The OAG is yet to examine the evidence and witnesses to decide if there are sufficient grounds for pressing charges against Ms. Yingluck in the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.

If found guilty, she could face a jail term, as well as a five-year ban from politics.

In the meantime, an investigative panel of the Election Commission (EC) has alleged that Ms. Yingluck, along with eight other former cabinet ministers and national police chief, had abused power by using public funds to campaign for the already-nullified the February general election.

All involved in the case will be called to defend themselves before the panel.

The EC will have to decide whether to take the case to the Supreme Court’s Election Cases Division for ruling.

If found guilty, those involved could face up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of 200,000 baht (about $6,186) and a 10-year ban from elections.