Thanyaporn Chansakulporn is the 21st defendant in the case against Boonsong Teriyapirom, who was Commerce minister in the Yingluck Shinawatra government and has been jailed for his role in the scam.

Thanyaporn and several other defendants were due in court on Wednesday to hear the verdict and be formally sentenced.

She had also skipped the reading of the verdict on August 25, when her father, Apichart Chansakulporn, was sentenced to 48 years in prison for malfeasance, having helped Boonsong set up the fake rice deal.

Her absence that day triggered the first arrest warrant.

Pairoj Polem, secretary of the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office, said the judges on Wednesday decided in Thanyaporn’s absence to not read the verdict against her.

The panel of judges, headed by Supreme Court vice president Thanarirk Nitaseranee, assumed, however, that she must have learned about the verdict when it was read on August 25.

The judges decided as a result that a second arrest warrant should be issued.

Thanyaporn was sentenced to four years in prison and fined Bt40,000.

The court also ordered Thanyaporn’s firm, Keetha Property Co Ltd, named as 20th defendant in the case, to pay the government Bt1.294 billion in compensation.