Three entertainers meet police over iCon Group controversies

Kan Kantathavorn, a popular TV host, met with the Central Investigation Bureau on Sunday after he was suspected of helping the iCon Group deceive the public in an alleged pyramid scheme.

Kan, who was named chief marketing officer of the iCon Group, met with police a day after two other entertainers whose names appeared as chief officers of the group met with CIB investigators on Saturday.

They were Yuranunt Pamornmontri, iCon Group’s chief research officer, and Pechaya Wattanamontree, iCon Group’s chief communication officer.

Kan arrived at the Consumers Protection Division inside the CIB compound at 9.50am to be questioned by CPD officers under the CIB.

Kan raised his hands in a wai gesture to reporters and wade through them to meet with police, refusing to give a lengthy interview. He said tersely that he had come to explain his side of the story to police.

Asked how confident he was that he could clear himself, Kan replied: “Let it unfold in accordance with the facts.”

When asked to comment on the allegations that his wife, Iyada Seemontree, took part in the alleged pyramid scheme by recruiting people to invest 250,000 baht as dealers of the iCon Group under her supervision, Kan replied: “If she has committed wrongdoing, so be it.”

On Saturday, Kan and his lawyer held a press conference to deny that he was an executive of the iCon Group even though he was named chief marketing officer. During the press conference, Kan said he was simply hired to carry out public relations for products of the iCon Group.

He claimed he agreed to accept the job because he had checked the quality of all the supplementary foods made and sold by the firm and found that they were of good quality and had received licences from the Food and Drug Administration.

He claimed he did not know that many people had been deceived into investing in the firm and lost their money as the products could not be sold as promised.

Kan told the press conference that he has taken responsibility by quitting as host of all TV programmes and he has cancelled his contract with the iCon Group.

Kan has faced social networkers’ rage not because he guaranteed the quality of iCon Groups’ supplementary food products but because he was seen on several occasions urging members of the public to invest in order to become “dealers” for the firm.

Victims of the iCon Group alleged that the term “dealer” meant they could start establishing a chain of lower-layer members who would invest more in the firm and earn back part of their invested money without really having to sell the products, in a similar practice of many pyramid schemes.

Kan said he signed a five-year contract with the iCon Group in October 2021 to promote products of the group or to be their brand ambassadors.

Social networkers were infuriated at Kan after seeing his clips of receiving a luxury car and luxury watch from the owner of the iCon Group, Warathaphon “Boss Paul” Waratyaworrakul, as they suspected the money might have come from the firm’s victims.

Kan said he did not know why Boss Paul got him the car and watch but he thought he might have been rewarded for his hard work that helped the firm sell its products.

During the press conference, Kan contradicted his lawyer on his income from the iCon Group. Kan said he was paid in accordance with the ratio of products sold, but his lawyer cut him short and told reporters that Kan was paid on a monthly basis based on the quantity of his work.

When reporters tried to ask more questions about Kan’s income, the lawyer cut short the press conference.

On Saturday, Yuranunt, who is called Boss Sam by the iCon Group, came to meet with police investigators at the CPD. Upon his arrival, Yuranant said he was not facing any summons order but wanted to meet with investigators to explain his work at the firm.

Earlier, Yuranant denied he was an executive at the firm even though he had been hired as chief research officer. He claimed he did not know that investors had suffered damages as reported.

Pechaya, who is called Boss Min by the iCon Group, also reported herself to the CPD on Saturday.

On Friday, Pechaya told a press conference that she did not know that the firm had caused a lot of damages to people, and she decided to end her contract with the firm after learning about them.