Eight suspects linked to a sales fraud allegedly carried out by Pasist Arinchayalapis, alias Sin Sae Shogun, have denied involvement in the scam, saying they set up their business legally to help marginalised people, police said.
Deputy national police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said Tuesday that a team of military officers attached to the 11th Military Circle in Bangkok led by Maj Gen Wijan Jodtang, head of National Council of Peace and Order's legal affairs took the suspects to investigators at Crime Suppression Division (CSD) office for questioning.
They are Monthaya Nirundorn, 55, Kongsarun Saengprapha, 22, Tatdao Samukkasikun, 35, Pranom Palanuson, 40, Nichamon Saengprapha, 64, Parinthorn Honghirun Duckor, 35, Sudarat Aneknuan, 25 and Kovit Chuaisud, 30.
The suspects have been charged with criminal conspiracy for colluding with Ms Pasist to secretly run a business with intent to defraud people. Ms Pasist is facing charges of fraud and criminal conspiracy.
WealthEver Co, the company linked to the fraud, where Ms Pasist is an executive, was registered as a wholesale distributor of non-alcoholic drinks with the Commerce Ministry.
While it claims to sell food supplements, an initial investigation found it lured people into buying shares in the company with fake overseas trips.
Pol Gen Srivara said all the suspects were taken for physical examinations and the results showed no traces of physical abuse.
They had been detained at the 11th Military Circle after they were placed under arrest last Wednesday following complaints over a bogus trip to Japan arranged by Ms Pasist's company as an incentive for investing in her business.
So far, more than 360 people lodged police complaints against Ms Pasist, her relatives and associates over an alleged sales scam that caused damages worth around 15 million baht, Pol Gen Srivara.
Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) officials have frozen the suspects' assets and property, worth more than 15 million baht.
The investigator who interviewed Ms Monthaya, Ms Pasist's mother, said she denied the allegations and insisted WealthEver is not a tour operating company.
The suspect said she did not entice people into joining the company but wrote on her Facebook wall about benefits of working with the company.
She told police she wanted to help people. If people work hard for the company, they will receive benefits, she said.
Investigators said Ms Pranom, who assists Ms Pasist, rejected allegations of persuading people to join a trip to Japan. But she admitted she had invited people to join another food supplement company called Olicean Co, investigators added.
Ms Pasist's girlfriend, Ms Tatdao also denied allegations against her and insisted WealthEver is a distributor of supplementary diet food.