BANGKOK - Thailand's Supreme Administrative Court on Thursday ordered former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to pay 10.03 billion baht ($306 million) in damages over the rice-pledging scheme that occurred under her administration over a decade ago.

The ruling upheld the Ministry of Finance's appeal against a lower-court decision but reduced the compensation from the originally sought 35.7 billion baht (about $1.08 billion), according to local media reports.

The court held Yingluck liable for financial losses related to her role as prime minister and chair of the National Rice Policy Committee, citing her negligence in failing to prevent corruption within the rice program.

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The court found that the scheme, intended to support farmers by purchasing rice at above-market prices, led to significant market distortions and financial damage.

The former prime minister fled Thailand in 2017 before a court hearing concerning a separate case related to the rice scheme. She was found guilty of criminal negligence and sentenced in absentia to five years in prison.