Thai ex-PM Shinawatra fails to appear in court, arrest warrant issued

Bangkok [Thailand], August 25 (ANI):The Supreme Court of Thailand has issued an arrest warrant against former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra after she failed to appear in court for a case related to a botched up rice-subsidy program.

The court sceduled the hearing for Sepetember 27 after her lawyers told the court at 9:37 a.m. local time that Yingluck is not well and cannot appear in the court.But lawyers did not provide medical certificate proving her state of health, Xinhua reported.

Yingluck on Thursday called on her supporters to stay at home to cheer for her tomorrow instead of gathering in front of the Supreme Court.

Yingluck is accused of negligence as part of the rice subsidies scheme that cost the country billions of dollars and also led to corruption.

The scheme, introduced in 2011, pledged to pay farmers well above the market rate for their crop, and ended up costing the country billions.(ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI