Former Finance Minister Vorapak Tanyawong has dismissed the claim that he is linked to cyberfraud networks, as his name has appeared on a US law enforcement list drawn up and a fresh international crackdown on transnational crime begins.
In his Facebook post on Wednesday night, Vorapak said he had reached out to the US Department of the Treasury and the Office of Foreign Assets Control to submit defence documents and obtain more information on the matter.
The move came in response to the release of a letter, sent on September 15 by Brian Mast and John Moolenaar, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and House Select Committee on China, respectively, to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The letter urges crackdowns on mushrooming cyberfraud compounds in Southeast Asia, saying the crime has siphoned billions of dollars from Americans.
It also calls for investigation and possible imposition of sanctions on 25 foreign persons it claims are potentially connected with online scam operations, with Vorapak among the names.
“I would like to reiterate that I have never participated in, supported, or had any knowledge of the operations of scam centres, money laundering, human trafficking, cybercrime or any crimes as alleged,” the ex-minister said.
Vorapak said that he has not been sanctioned yet, as the letter is just a demand for investigation, not a final ruling.
He said that he is ready to provide support to the legal process. “The best way to respond to such serious allegations is through facts, evidence and a verifiable process.”
Also on the list are Cambodian businessman Yim Leak and South African international fixer Benjamin Mauerberger. Both are wanted on arrest warrants in Thailand.
A banker by trade, Vorapak rose to become the deputy minister under the previous Bhumjaithai government in September last year but stepped down roughly two months later as he was accused of being part of a Cambodia-based scam network, together with other figures like Yim Leak and Mauerberger, by investigative journalist Tom Wright.
Vorapak has denied all the allegations and filed legal action against Wright, aiming to use the justice system to clear himself.
