BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): Slimming products tycoon Phitnari Tantiwit surrendered to police on Thursday (Jan 19) night after raids on her Samut Prakan home and head office earlier in the day.
Phitnari, CEO of Prima Maya Co Ltd, is accused of uploading false information to deceive people into investing 6,000 baht to buy her Primaya slimming products.
A warrant for her arrest was issued on Tuesday after an influencer posted a photo of herself with a luxury car, claiming she purchased it with 15 million baht in profit she made from investing 6,000 baht in Primaya products.
Netizens urged police to investigate the company for false advertising last week after Phitnari posted photos of herself with the woman at a luxury-car showroom.
On Thursday night, Phitnari turned herself in along with five associates.
They were interrogated by police for eight hours before being released on bail of 100,000 baht per suspect.
In August last year, Phitnari and her husband, Sitthan Sansern, were summoned by police over complaints that their slimming products contained sibutramine, a banned appetite suppressant linked with cardiovascular events and strokes.
They denied the charges, claiming that they had already stopped ordering products from the factory that used the substance. The couple eventually made bail.
On Thursday, police seized Primaya products found at the company’s head office and sent them for testing.