DSI to authenticate seized iCon Group CEO’s timepieces
Experts to examine the watches hidden in rented room after social media outcry that they are not genuine
The Department of Special Investigation will seek help from experts to authenticate the luxury watches belonging to the The iCon Group CEO after comments on social media that the timepieces appeared to be fakes.
Pol Maj Woranan Srilam, director of the financial business fraud division of the DSI, said on Wednesday that experts from the DSI’s intellectual property would soon authenticate the seized watches.
On Tuesday, DSI officials searched a rented room on Soi Ram Indra 9 in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district and found what appeared to be several luxury watches.
After the search, Woranan said he had been tipped off by a source that the group’s CEO Warathaphon “Boss Paul” Waratyaworrakul was hiding his luxury watches in the rented room.
However, after the DSI showed photos of the watches, many social networkers pointed out that they appeared to be fake.
A popular Facebook Page, Esor Khayi Khao (sister-in-law dissecting news) suggested two theories, the first surmising that Warathaphon wore fake watches to conceal his wealth to lure victims to invest in his firm.
The page also suggested a second theory: that Warathaphon might have arranged the tip-off to the DSI so that he could hide his real luxury timepieces.
Warathaphon is among 16 executives of the The iCon Group arrested for alleged public deception.
Pol Maj Yutthana Praedam, acting DSI chief, said the DSI normally authenticates all seized evidence so the public had no need to worry,
He said if the watches turned out to be fake, it would not affect The iCon Group case and the DSI would look into whether the fakes were used to deceive victims and, if so, why they had been hidden in the rented room.
After the social media outcry, the DSI issued a statement that its intellectual property division was in the process of inviting experts to authenticate the watches.
