bangkok thailand supreme court convict sentence former prime minister yingluck shinawatra absentia five years prison wednesday mismanage rice subsidy scheme cost country billions dollars yingluck flee abroad last month fear military government set coup 2014 would seek harsh sentence decade thai politics dominate power struggle thailand traditional elite include army affluent bangkok-based upper class shinawatra family include yingluck brother former prime minister thaksin shinawatra also oust coup yingluck face 10 years prison negligence costly scheme help get elect 2011. plead innocent accuse military government political persecution nine judge vote unanimously find yingluck guilty verdict read take four hours warrant issue arrest court say yingluck know members administration falsify government-to-government rice deal nothing stop accuse know government-to-government rice contract unlawful prevent ... supreme court say manner seek unlawful gain therefore action accuse consider negligence duty say former commerce minister government jail 42 years last month falsify government-to-government rice deal connection subsidy scheme norrawit larlaeng lawyer yingluck tell reporters outside court appeal discuss shinawatras command huge support court rural voters help win every general election since 2001 foes accuse corruption nepotism rice scheme yingluck government buy rice farmers above-market price lead stockpile distort global price losses amount billion military government say yingluck puea thai party defend scheme wednesday puea thai party believe various scheme party introduce previous administration phumtham wechayachai secretary-general party say yingluck ban politics five years 2015 remain unofficial face party populist movement support kan yuengyong executive director siam intelligence unit think-tank say wednesday sentence mark end political career add unlikely would return thailand near future politically execution yingluck verdict effectively take politics kan tell reuters thitinan pongsudhirak director institute security international study chulalongkorn university say puea thai party rudderless pheu thai officially become rudderless regroup new leadership dissolve leader compromise maybe thailand move say bottom line shinawatras corruption problems elect governments flaw unintended legacy help connect mass need openly adopt opponents thailand move dozens supporters gather outside court hear verdict wednesday far few aug. 25 court originally schedule deliver verdict find yingluck flee country though whereabouts disclose either aid junta reuters report last month flee dubai thaksin home live self-imposed exile avoid 2008 jail sentence corruption neither yingluck thaksin comment publicly immediately verdict nothing hear yingluck since flee country one lawyers sommai koosap tell reuters outside court wednesday contact photos post instagram week one thaksin daughters show thaksin london none photos feature yingluck leader junta prime minister prayuth chan-ocha say tuesday know yingluck would reveal verdict read thai authorities investigate yingluck escape say last week question three police officer admit help fugitive former thai pm yingluck get five years jail absentia