Pyramid scheme charges filed against 18 The iCon Group suspects

Warathaphon ‘Boss Paul’ Waratyaworrakul, founder and CEO of The iCon Group, is escorted by police from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) to the Criminal Court in Bangkok on Oct 18. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)
Warathaphon ‘ Boss Paul ‘ Waratyaworrakul, founder and CEO of The iCon Group, is escorted by police from the Central Investigation Bureau ( CIB ) to the Criminal Court in Bangkok on Oct 18. ( Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut )

Also, the Department of Special Investigation charged 18 of the group’s imprisoned suspects with committing direct sales and pyramid schemes.

Wisanu Chimtrakool, the DSI assistant secretary-general, reported on Monday when DSI officials announced the addition charges against the 18 defendants at the Central Women’s Correctional Institution and the Bangkok Remand Prison.

In addition to the earlier claims of people scam and computer crimes, they were also accused of breaking the Law on Loans, Amounting to Public Cheating and Fraud ( also known as the Pyramid Scheme Law ) and the Direct Sales and Marketing Act.

The DSI had enough evidence to support the most recent accusations, according to Pol Capt Wisanu, who spoke with representatives from the Fiscal Policy Office and the Consumer Protection Board about its plans for the extra fees.

” They had work processes and different roles … The combined roles shared the same objective that was public fraud-oriented borrowing”, the deputy secretary-general said.

The DSI claimed in a statement that the suspects worked together because they had team of executives, team leaders who invited others to invest in the image Group firm, and teams of celebrities who presented their success to the company.

The suspects ran strong sales and marketing businesses in the manner that prospective clients were elicited into business sites and promised to pay back when they recruited new network members.

Furthermore, the defendants operated a direct sales company without a permission, according to the DSI speech.

Withoon Kengngan, attorney of the imprisoned offenders, said on Monday that the company of the group was not a pyramid structure.

He claimed that a pyramid scheme would not have engaged in legitimate company, paid off old community members ‘ wealth, and offered no goods.

According to the attorney, the suspects were prepared to testify for their sincerity by exposing The sign Group’s back office system.

He added that he prepared about 3, 000 defense testimony for questioning by the government.

For common fraud and entering false info into a computer system, police last month detained the 18 suspects, including The symbol Group CEO Warathaphon” Boss Paul” Waratyaworrakul and many celebrities.

Since then, they have been held at Central Women’s Correctional Institution and the Bangkok Remand Prison.