The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) has seized a first lot of assets owned by scandal-hit Stark Corp, about 349 million baht in total.
The impounding of the assets was announced on Monday by Amlo deputy secretary Pol Maj Gen Ekkarat Limsangkat and Department of Special Investigation (DSI) deputy director-general Pol Maj Yuthana Praedam.
Amlo spokesman Witthaya Nititham said 16 assets were seized. Most were owned by shareholders and their secretaries and included cash and digital assets. Other assets uncovered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) were also seized.
The investigation team set a 90-day deadline for the owners to report their assets.
"Amlo plans to further investigate the accused for money laundering," Mr Witthaya said.
Pol Maj Yuthana said more than 160 witnesses had been questioned in this case so far.
The investigators have also accused 11 people involved with Stark Corp of falsifying bank accounts and statements.
The team planned to further question a company auditor and issue one more arrest warrant, for one of Stark’s administrative figures. This person was assumed to have left the country, Pol Maj Yuthana said.
He said none of the impounded assets belonged to Stark’s largest shareholder, Vonnarat Tangkaravakoon, who has acknowledged and denied charges laid against him earlier.
Amlo was also working with the DSI’s Transnational Cases Division on a case involving Stark Corp’s former chairman, Chanin Yensudchai, who had earlier fled an arrest warrant. They have petitioned the Civil Court for the transfer of his overseas assets to the state, Mr Witthaya said.
The investigation was expected to be wrapped up by the end of this month, Pol Maj Yuthana said.
The DSI took up the case of alleged fraud at Stark following revelations of suspected irregularities in its financial statements, which impacted on its bond return and share price. Investigators say total damages could be as high 100 billion baht.