A 47-year-old woman has been charged with fraud and demanding money to be used as bribes from the owner of a cosmetics and food supplements firm embroiled in the Magic Skin case.
Worakan Duangchan, a Lop Buri resident, was brought before a police media briefing at the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) on Thursday afternoon.
She was apprehended earlier that day and one million baht in cash seized from her at a restaurant opposite Phranakhon Rajabhat University in Bang Khen district of Bangkok.
Ms Worakan has been charged with fraud as well as demanding and receiving money to be used to bribe state officials.
CSD chief Pol Maj Gen Maitri Chimcherd alleged Ms Worakan demanded six million baht from Thanathin Rodwatthanaphong, owner of Siam Health & Beauty Care Co Ltd in Samut Sakhon’s Muang district.
The company was one of several firms raided by police and the Food and Drug Administration in May for procuring products for Magic Skin, which has been accused of selling fake and sub-standard cosmetics and food supplements.
Mr Thanathin at the time consulted Ms Worakan, who has her own cosmetics and food supplement brands.
The woman allegedly claimed she was acquainted with a phuyai, or senior influential person, who could help Mr Thanathin get off the charges. She also allegedly said she was able to negotiate with an administrator of a famous Facebook page which exposed Magic Skin’s second-rate products, to hush the news story involving his company.
She then demanded six million baht from Mr Thanathin, who agreed to pay her in three instalments of two million baht each.
An additional 300,000 baht was also demanded of Mr Thanathin as compensation for two Khon Kaen residents who were treated in hospital after taking his food supplements.
After handing over the money Mr Thanathin became suspicious and double-checked with officials who were supervising the case. After realising he was being duped, he tried to get Ms Worakan to return the money to him. Only one million baht was paid back to him.
After that, Ms Worakan again asked him for another one million baht, saying the phuyai was angry that the money he was due was instead returned to Mr Thanathin.
Mr Thanathin decided then to file a complaint with the CSD. He told the woman he would give her one million baht at the restaurant where she was later arrested.
Ms Worakan confessed under questioning, but said it was the first time she had done anything like it. Police were not convinced and were expanding their investigation.
A source said the influential figure Ms Worakan falsely claimed to know was Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon.
.jpg?w=600)
