Former minister banned from politics

Thailand's military-appointed legislature banned a former commerce minister from office on Friday over corrupt rice export deals, months after former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra was impeached for negligence in a rice-pledging scheme.

Boonsong Teriyaphirom, who was commerce minister in Yingluck's government, was banned from politics for five years by the National Legislative Assembly when it voted to impeach him.

Since taking power in a May 22 coup, Thailand's junta has actively pursued cases against members of the former administration.