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The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office on Thursday ordered former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra to stand trial in the rice-pledging criminal case against her.

The court ordered Yingluck to be in court at 9.30am on May 19 to enter her plea in the case.

She is charged by public prosecutors with having violated the Criminal Code and the Anti-Corruption Act by practising malfeasance and nonfeasance in the rice-pledging case, causing severe damage to the state.

The court announced that its panel of nine judges in charge of the case had considered the lawsuit and found that the court had the authority to try the case in line with procedures for trials against political office holders and that the suit was line with the Supreme Court's rules.

The court also appointed Virapol Tangsuwan, vice president of the Supreme Court, as the judge advocate in charge of the case.

The panel of the judges will send a letter to Yingluck instructing her to appear before the court.

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