All defendants in The iCon Group case deny charges and proceed to fight the case
After the prosecutor filed charges against 17 defendants, including one legal entity, in the iCon Group case on January 8, the Criminal Court today ordered the transfer of 16 defendants from the Bangkok Remand Prison and the Central Women’s Correctional Institution for their plea hearing.
When the court convened, the charges were read and explained to the defendants. Upon inquiry, all defendants declared their intent to plead not guilty and requested to contest the case.
The court scheduled a preliminary hearing to examine the evidence on February 10 at 9am.
The plea hearings and evidence reviews are expected to take place around March or April.
As for the reasons behind the not-guilty pleas, Witoon Keng-ngarn, legal counsel for Waratphol Woratworakul, the CEO of The iCon Group, stated that detailed explanations will be provided during the evidence review. He is currently requesting the names of the complainants to analyze the number of complainants against each defendant.
Witoon also mentioned that the legal team plans to file for bail during the evidence review phase.
He also expressed concern over the extensive documentation involved in the case, including 300,000 pages of investigative materials from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), 200,000 pages of company-related documents, and numerous financial transaction records for each defendant.
He argued that the defendants, being the most knowledgeable about these documents, must be released on bail to prepare their defence.
He emphasized that this is a business-related criminal case, not a murder or drug-trafficking case, and securing bail is crucial for presenting evidence and explanations to the court.
Additionally, reports suggest that some defendants have already submitted bail requests during the trial.
Regarding the prosecutor's decision not to charge Yuranunt Pamornmontri and Pechaya Wattanamontri, Witoon expressed relief and appreciation.
He remarked that The Icon Group had not violated any laws, sold substandard products, or failed to comply with FDA regulations. The prosecutor's decision not to file charges against the two individuals reflects courage and adherence to justice.
"The arrests, asset seizures, detention of the suspects, and denial of bail—effectively cutting off their means of defence—raise questions about fairness. When suspects are imprisoned, their families bear the burden of visiting them, as if the families themselves are also incarcerated."
The iCon Group Company Limited specializes in online direct sales. Founded on June 1, 2018, by Waraphol , the company sells health and beauty supplements through a network of sales representatives. Over its first five years, the company generated over 10 billion baht in revenue.
In 2024, The iCon Group faced widespread allegations of defrauding the public into investing, leading to legal action. On October 16, 2024, arrest warrants were issued for 18 individuals involved in the case.
Prosecutors from the Special Cases Division reviewed the evidence and decided to indict The iCon Group, Waraphol, and 15 others on five charges including fraud against the public, deceitful input of information into a computer system, fraudulent borrowing that deceives the public, operating a direct sales business without a license and operating a multi-level marketing business that entices participants with rewards based on recruitment, in violation of the law.
