Ufun webmaster, aide turn selves in

Ufun webmaster, aide turn selves in

Pair deny knowledgeof pyramid scheme

A webmaster and an aide who allegedly helped oversee public relations for the alleged Ponzi scam firm, Ufun Store Co, have turned themselves in to police.

Wanted under Criminal Court arrest warrants, Thirat Prathipratanophat, an alleged Ufun webmaster and media marketing specialist, and Chawisa Chittophat, his alleged assistant, are listed 44th and 46th on a police list containing dozens of suspects believed to have helped Ufun trick people into making "investments" totalling several million baht each in a pyramid scheme.

Police investigators charged Mr Thirat with being a member of a "transnational crime syndicate" and colluding to cheat people out of money, Pol Lt Gen Suwira Songmetta, an assistant to the national police chief, said yesterday.

Ms Chawisa was also charged with cheating people out of money and violating the 2007 Computer Act, he said.   

Police officers yesterday conducted searches at Mr Thirat's company office and his home, but found no financial documents connected with Ufun.

However, a safe found at his home was seized for inspection.

Valuables from safes and assets belonging to other suspects previously have been confiscated by the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo).

In April alone, Amlo seized up to 226 million baht worth of cash and assets from two Ufun executives.

During questioning, Mr Thirat and Ms Chawisa told police they did not know Ufun was operating a scam in which company investors were urged to attract new investors in order to earn higher returns. 

"I was also deceived into serving Ufun," Mr Thirat said yesterday.

The 38-year-old, whose company allegedly served as an event organiser for Ufun, said he was introduced to Ufun representatives at a memorandum of agreement signing ceremony between Ufun and the United Development Bank of Pacific Ltd in March last year.

That meeting later led to further dealings with Ufun, he said.

Mr Thirat said he was hired by Arthit Pankaew, another suspect who is still at large, to redecorate offices at Ufun's headquarters.

Later, Mr Arthit invited him to become a Ufun executive, but he declined the offer, Mr Thirat said.

In October the same year, he said he was asked to become an Ufun adviser and offered a salary of 150,000 baht a month.

Although it seemed like an important position, Mr Thirat said, he did not play any significant role and never attended Ufun board meetings.

All he did was oversee Ufun Thailand's website and the Ufun foundation website, he said.

Mr Thirat told police he also helped out in the firm's customer service section by forwarding customers' complaints to Ufun's network in Malaysia.  

At the company's headquarters, he claimed he also met Mr Arthit, who allegedly served as an Ufun executive.

He also met Maj Gen Athiwat Sunpan, 66, another alleged Ufun adviser wanted on an arrest warrant.

Ms Chawisa, 28, told police her role was to help upload English and Chinese information about Ufun onto its website.

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