Zee Media Bureau/Supriya Jha
Bangkok: Thailand PM Yingluck Shinawatra who is facing allegations of power abuse to transfer a top official, could be removed from office and banned from politics for five years if proven guilty.
Ms Shinawatra is due for a crucial ruling by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday in wake of accusations that her Pheu Thai party fetched benefits when she transferred Thawil Pliensri in 2011.
The Court will on Wednesday decide if the transfer was unconstitutional and if proven guilty, the PM risks being removed from office and may face a five year ban from politics.
Denying the allegations against her by anti-government senators, Yingluck today appeared before the Constitutional Court and said, that Mr Thawil`s transfer was for the nation`s benefit and it didn`t violate any laws.
"I deny the allegation... I didn`t violate any laws, I didn`t receive any benefit from the appointment," Ms Yingluck told the court on Tuesday.
Seated along with her legal team, Ms Yingluck said that as the country`s PM she is “entitled to carry out responsibilities I have toward the people ... and for the utmost benefit of the general public."
The ruling from the Court against Ms Yingluck might be another jolt for the Thai government which has been facing protesters since last year, who want a new “people`s council” to be elected.
Protesters led by opposition leader Suthep Thaugsuban accuse Yingluck government of being a puppet regime being run indirectly by her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in 2006.
Yingluck`s Pheu Thai party is popular with the rural people but urbans and middle class citizens are against her governance.
In order to diffuse the protests, the government had announced polls on Feb 2, but they were finally cancelled due to increasing resistance by the protesters.
Last week, Thailand government has declared polls to be held on July 20 but it has already been rejected by the opposition.
