Facing impeachment, ousted Thai PM indicted over rice scheme charges

Yingluck Shinawatra gives a Thai traditional greeting gesture of 'wai' during a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand Wednesday, May 7, 2014. (AP / Sakchai Lalit)

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand's anti-graft commission has indicted ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra over charges of dereliction of duty in overseeing a contentious rice subsidy program.

National Anti-Corruption Commission chief Panthep Klanarongran says it voted unanimously that there were enough grounds to indict her.

The decision Thursday came one day after the constitutional Court ousted Yingluck and nine Cabinet members for abuse of power.

Yingluck faces an impeachment vote by the Senate. If impeached and found guilty, she would be barred from politics for five years.

The rice subsidy program was a flagship policy of Yingluck's administration that helped win the votes of millions of farmers. It accumulated losses of at least $4.4 billion and has been dogged by corruption allegations.