DSI to handle ‘Mae Tuck’ gold case

Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong has agreed to have the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) accept the high-profile fraud case against the celebrity online retailer Kornkanok “Mae Tuck” Suwannabut, as a special case to speed up its resolution.
Ms Kornkanok and her husband, Kanpon Rueang-aram, were arrested on Monday in Bangkok. They have been charged with committing public fraud; inputting false information into computer systems; misleading advertising; and misrepresenting the quantity, quality and other information about products and services they sold.
Mr Kanpon has been sent to Bangkok Remand Prison, while Ms Kornkanok has been taken to the Central Women’s Correctional Institution.
The Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) on Thursday denied reports that it had summoned social media influencers or celebrities connected to Ms Kornkanok for questioning.
It was earlier rumoured the division had called Ms Kornkanok’s aide, Jenuch Bangtoei, a well-known online vendor, for questioning.
The CPPD maintains that it is focusing on processing complaints from victims, while summons documents are being prepared.
It is expected that summonses will be issued next week to individuals who appeared in live broadcasts to endorse and sell Ms Kornkanok’s products via her social media channel.
The charges that she and her husband face stem mainly from online sales of substandard gold jewellery.
Some influencers and celebrities have given statements to authorities and denied being complicit in fraud, the CPPD said.
The Consumer Protection Board, meanwhile, has set a deadline of Friday for Ms Kornkanok’s company to give a statement about its business practices.
It has been alleged that the gold shop was not licensed to carry out online direct sales, and the CPPD is investigating this aspect of the case.
Police on Thursday searched the couple’s home in the Ram Intra area of Bangkok and two of their companies located at the same address on Hathairat Road in Klong Sam Wa district, said Pol Maj Gen Witthaya Sriprasertpab, the CPPD commander.
Seized from the locations were at least five luxury vehicles including a McLaren sports car estimated to be worth 30 million baht, as well as bank accounts and other assets. The seized assets were valued at about 70 million baht in total.
A large safe deposit box, previously shown in a video by Ms Kornkanok to be filled with millions of baht in cash, was emptied out. The couple said they used the cash to pay refunds to customers who had returned gold items to their shop.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Money Laundering Office said it had received evidence of fraud submitted by police. Its officials will meet on Oct 17 to decide if the couple’s assets should be frozen, before proceeding with restitution to victims.