Thai public prosecutors decided to indict eight suspects today (Tuesday), including a celebrity couple, in connection with the Forex-3D Ponzi scheme, as recommended by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).
The DSI has wrapped up its investigation against a third group of suspects, numbering 16, but agreed to recommend that public prosecutors indict only half of them, including Pattanapon Minthakhin and his girlfriend, Suteewan Thaweesin.
The DSI’s findings were submitted to the public prosecutors today and, after having reviewed the findings, they agreed to indict the eight suspects. All were later freed on bail by the prosecutors.
For the remaining suspects in the group, the DSI, with the prosecutors, decided not to press charges because their testimonies were found to be credible, namely that they were not involved in the foreign exchange futures investment which was revealed to be a Ponzi scheme.
Two other groups have already been indicted. A member of the second group includes former entertainer Savika Chaiyadej, who is current out on bail.
The Forex-3D investment scam was created by a brokerage company called RMS Familia, established in 2015 and run by Apiruk Kothi as it chief executive officer. Several other companies were also set up, with Apiruk holding stakes in all, allegedly to launder money received from investors.
Several celebrities were recruited to promote the investment. RMS Familia offered investors returns of about 10% per month on a required minimum investment of 5,000 baht. Tens of thousands were lured to invest in the scheme.
