By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE CRIMINAL COURT today (July 13) denied the Department of Special Investigation’s request for an arrest warrant for online trader-turned-MP Pawoot Pongvitayapanu who is currently among a total of 24 suspects of alleged involvement in a foreign exchange racket and advised that a subpoena be issued instead in the case of the opposition lawmaker.
The Criminal Court has turned down the DSI request for the issuance of the arrest warrant for the People’s MP in order to keep the judicial branch from eventually taking part in possible persecution on political purposes. In addition to the elected lawmaker, the court has denied arrest warrants for 21 other suspects on forex scam charges.
The DSI, a government agency under care of Bhumjaithai-attached Justice Minister Rutthapol Naowarat, has evidently suspected the People’s MP alongside the 23 others of alleged involvement in the forex scam including certain brokerage and payment gateway firms whilst the current parliamentary session is now in recess.
Pawoot has earlier said he would definitely not take legislative privileges which could otherwise grant him immunity to arrest and detention for any criminal charges.
The People’s MP categorically dismissed allegations that he had been one way or another involved in the forex scam which could probably otherwise lead to money-laundering activity as suspected by the DSI and has earlier said he would certainly cooperate with the authorities whilst ultimately fighting a legal battle to defend himself from such criminal rackets.
According to a DSI official, Pawoot had been allegedly involved in multiple transactions of cash totaling about 833 million baht over the last few years. Remarkably, 14 of those online transactions worth two million baht each and combinedly amounting to 28 million baht had been allegedly transferred to him from a payment gateway firm, namely Spark Digital, on a single day in 2024.
However, Pawoot said he was interrogated last week by the DSI “as a witness” and not a suspect in the forex scam preying on a large number of unknowing victims.
The opposition lawmaker has earlier contended that he had completely earned the 28 million baht profit from trading gold online before he decided to run for MP under the People’s tickets earlier this year and that he had never advertised a forex brokerage firm, namely QRS Global, online as alleged. He said he had been merely interviewed for his knowledge and experience as an online gold trader.
CAPTION:
People’s MP Pawoot Pongvitayapanu. Above photo – MNG Online, Front Page – PPTVHD36
Earlier reports:
Pawoot found to have used payment service of illegally operating firm
Pawoot urged to publicly clear himself of suspected forex scam
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