Arrest warrants for additional iCon Group suspects expected
Central Investigation Bureau expects to be granted arrest warrants Saturday
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) expected to be granted arrest warrants for additional suspects involved in alleged fraudulent practices of direct sales company The iCon Group on Saturday.
The company’s chief executive officer, Warathaphon “Boss Paul” Waratyaworrakul, was among 18 The iCon Group executives arrested on Wednesday. They face charges of scamming people and disseminating false information via a computer system.
Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, deputy CIB chief, said on Saturday that suspects in the second batch include an individual whose name starts with “S”, which Warathaphon admitted as having a conversation with in an audio clip that surfaced on social media this week.
Investigators said “S” could be a politician who had demanded money from Warathaphon in exchange for protection, although the CEO has denied paying any bribes to government agencies.
Jaroonkiat said investigators are also looking into persons whom Warathaphon referred to in another audio clip as “Thewada”, or “angels”.
In that clip, Warathaphon admitted he was telling his subordinates that to ensure a smooth business operation, one must pay offerings to angels. However, he said he was referring to mythological beings as per his spiritual belief and not any real persons.
The iCon Group is suspected of luring hundreds of people into buying products under a pyramid scheme. Police say they have received more than 1,000 complaints filed by individuals who said they had invested in iCon Group’s food supplements with a promise of quick sales.
When they failed to shift the products, the company told them to recruit more sellers to work under them and collect a share of their “investment”.
The case has been in the public spotlight this month as several actors and celebrities have been listed as “bosses” of The iCon Group, appearing at the company’s seminars and online media to attract potential investors and increase the company’s credibility.
After The iCon Group’s dubious business practices were made public, many of these celebrities said they were just paid product presenters with no involvement in the company’s business.
