DSI ready to take iCon Group case to prosecution next week

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) announced that its investigation team has finalised its case against the iCon Group and that it will be submitted to the Special Prosecutor’s Office on Monday. 

DSI spokesman Pol Maj-General Woranan Srilam said on Wednesday that the investigators had convened with prosecutors as well as accounting experts and information technology specialists to finalise a comprehensive case file. 

The iCon Group, an online business accused of luring investors but failing to deliver on its promises, was busted and 18 of its executives were arrested on October 16. 

Among the detainees are three celebrities – Yuranunt Pamornmontri, Kan Kantathavorn, and Pechaya Wattanamontree – who have provided their written defence. 

Yuranunt also submitted a list of external witnesses requesting the DSI to further its investigation, so his innocence can be established. All three maintain that they acted solely as contractors and had no involvement in the company’s business strategy. 

Separately, Palang Pracharath Party’s former deputy spokesman Samart Janechaijitwanit and his mother were arrested on charges of laundering money for the group. The charges stemmed from a 2.5-million-baht transaction involving iCon Group’s CEO Waraphol Waratworakul.

Both Samart and his mother, Wilawan Putthasamrit, have requested a 30-day extension to prepare for their defence. 

The DSI, meanwhile, has broadened its investigation to examine the financial transactions of individuals linked to the accused and uncovered further connections. Investigators plan to file more charges against Samart for using accounts of close associates to facilitate questionable fund transfers.