- Illustrative photo: The Nation/ANN
BANGKOK: The Criminal Court on Friday (Nov 22) issued arrest warrants for Dr Boon Wanasin and eight others suspected of running a public scam involving investment in medical-related businesses.
The warrants were issued at the request of the Metropolitan Police Bureau Division 1.
Boon, 86, is well known in the medical community as the founder of the Thonburi Hospital and chair of the Thonburi Healthcare Group (THG) board. Police believe he fled the country in September.
Investigators said that from December last year to October this year, they had received complaints from 527 people saying that they were unable to cash the cheques issued by the suspects.
The victims said that in February 2023, Boon advertised via an online channel five medical investment projects in Thailand and overseas, attracting hundreds of investors who believed in Boon’s credentials and experience in the medicine industry.
Boon and others reportedly raised funds by issuing money lending contracts to victims, promising to return their investment plus interest in the form of cheques.
The warrants for Boon and eight others listed five charges: Public fraud, arranging for public fraud, fraudulent lending, money laundering, and cheque fraud.
Boon’s wife, daughter, personal assistant, and financial manager are four of the nine suspects. The other four are investment brokers who allegedly processed the lending contracts.
Boon is believed to have fled to China on September 29, while the whereabouts of his wife Jaruwan (79) and daughter Nalin (51) are unknown, police said.
The remaining six suspects have already been arrested.
Whistleblower and media proprietor Sondhi Limthongkul claimed that the damage caused by Boon’s scam could exceed 8 billion baht. - The Nation/ANN
