File photo: Vitoon Keng-ngarn, the lawyer of Waratphol Waratvorakul
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) will be asked to change the status of five supposed victims of the iCon Group direct marketing company to that of upline executives (a person who introduces the business to people and gets commission on their sales). The lawyer representing the company’s founder and CEO, Waratphol Waratvorakul, also known as “Boss Paul,” is set to submit a letter to the DSI, arguing that these individuals played a significant role in persuading others to invest in the company.
After visiting him in the Bangkok Remand Prison, Waratphol’s lawyer Vitoon Keng-ngarn said that he had updated him on the case and that it has now been transferred to the DSI. He also expressed confidence that the DSI has the expertise needed to handle this type of case.
They also discussed submitting a letter to the DSI to request changing the status, of those identified as Tinpat, Chonticha, Kraipop (Kob Micro), Nuengfah and Anothai, from victims to suspects. Vitoon revealed that these five individuals were working as upline executives, each with over a hundred downlines (inductees).
They were involved in persuading people to invest and open bills to purchase products worth 250,000 baht, without the knowledge of the 18 executives currently being held on remand or the company. He emphasised that this request is not meant to intimidate witnesses, but is an exercise of legal rights.
He added that all of them will need to prove their innocence through the legal process, just like the 18 executives already charged. The legal team is also preparing documents to enable 2,000 other victims to take legal action against those who claim to be victims but who were actually upline executives.
The letter will be submitted to the DSI on October 29th.
