Former Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra faces criminal charge

Thailand's former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra faces a criminal charge over her role in a controversial rice subsidy program that cost the country billions. If found guilty of the charge, she could face up to 10 years in prison, BBC reports. The announcement by the Attorney General's office came as Yingluck, who was ousted in May last year shortly before the military swept to power in a coup, faces an impeachment hearing over her purported failure to halt the rice scheme. The rice subsidy program, introduced in 2011, pledged to pay farmers well above the market rate for their crop. But critics said it wasted large amounts of public funds trying to please rural voters, hurting exports and leaving the government with large stockpiles of rice it couldn't sell without losing money. Politics ban Should lawmakers in the country's National Legislative Assembly vote to impeach her, she could be banned from Thai politics for five years. Yingluck's dismissal from office was brought about by a lawsuit filed by anti-government senators. They accused Yingluck of abusing her power by unlawfully transferring National Security Council chief Thawil Pliensri from his role in September 2011, alleging the move was intended to benefit her Pheu Thai Party and a family member.