Online lottery chief may also be called to explain suspicious transfers exceeding B1 billion
A lawyer representing Panthawat Nakwisut, CEO of the Kong Salak Plus online lottery platform, met on Thursday with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to discuss suspicious money transfers worth over one billion baht.
Investigators from the DSI’s narcotics division will examine the evidence the lawyer presented to see if it could clarify lingering doubts, said DSI deputy spokeswoman Pittayaporn Churat. If the explanations were still unclear, Mr Panthawat would be summoned to meet them, she added.
Mr Panthawat flew to England last Friday but denied he was fleeing the country to escape possible legal action over 39 transfers totalling 1.09 billion baht into his account and that of his company. On Thursday he posted a picture on Facebook purported to have been taken in Bangkok, showing an air ticket from Paris to Bangkok dated Jan 25.
Ms Pittayaporn said DSI investigators have already looked into transfers of 53 million baht from the account of an online gambling website to Mr Panthawat’s account. They are now checking the evidence against documents provided by a bank.
Seven other people were summoned in connection with money transfers worth about one billion baht. Four have met with DSI investigators, one has been arrested and two others have fled and arrest warrants have been sought for them, said Ms Pittayaporn.
She said investigators found that the 53-million-baht transfer was prize money from two government lottery draws — 42 million and 11 million baht. The person who cashed in the winning tickets and later transferred the money to Mr Panthawat’s account is facing an arrest warrant for collusion in money laundering and online gambling.
Some of the other money transfers are believed to involve restaurant businesses, said Ms Pittayaporn. Investigators hope to submit cases to public prosecutors before the end of February as some of the suspects have been in custody since December, she added.
Under the law, as suspect can be held for a maximum of seven 12-day detention periods, or 84 days, before charges must be formally pressed.
On Tuesday night, whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit posted on his Facebook account that the “boiling point” was being reached for those involved in illicit businesses in the country.
The outspoken former politician and massage parlour tycoon predicted that the axe would soon fall a “major grey business” that has allegedly been laundering money for a long-established online gambling network.
Mr Chuvit alleged that “Mr Eddie” was a top online gambling host operating in Thailand. A native of Songkhla, he is said to have tens of billions of baht and has been in the online gambling business for a long time.
The man had bought three hotels in Tachilek in Myanmar, six houses in Poipet in Cambodia, an apartment building worth 200 million baht and a hotel worth about 9 billion baht in England, according to Mr Chuvit.
He alleged the man later bought a casino from a senator and that a person with the initial “N” laundered his money. The two men had met through a retired actor, the former MP wrote.
According to Mr Chuvit, a warrant is out for the arrest of the Songkhla native for drug crimes, and the suspect is in London.
Mr Chuvit’s post drew many comments, including one from Mr Panthawat whose nickname is Nott.
Mr Panthawat commented that people should wait for the truth as to whether there was any money laundering, and if he were innocent, he would like Mr Chuvit to issue a clarification.