Ex-female Thai PM denies all charges

BANGKOK, May 19 (TNA) - Former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has denied all charges related to her previous government's rice-pledging scheme and has been then released on bail. Accompanied by her spouse, Anusorn Amornchat, Yingluck showed up at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions in Bangkok on Tuesday morning, as summonsed, the first hearing of the trial on the loss-ridden rice-pledging scheme. Yingluck made her verbal statement to deny all charges and vowed to submit her written statement with the court on July 3, 2015. The court will examine witnesses and evidence of both plaintiff and defendant sides on July 21 and 28, demanding that Yingluck always show up during the process. The court has, however, temporarily released Yingluck on bail on the condition that she will not leave the country, except for the court's permission on a case by case basis. Public prosecutors earlier charged her for dereliction of duty for allowing the rice-pledging scheme to cause damage, worth over 600 billion baht, to the state without stopping it. Yingluck, who received morale support from leaders of the red-shirt political movement, members of her Pheu Thai Party and other supporters, then told journalists that she would defend herself in the justice system. Yingluck's presence at the Supreme Court was covered by an army of Thai and foreign journalists amid tight security arrangement. (TNA)