The Criminal Court has accepted for trial indictments against the first three parties in the Magic Skin cosmetics scandal, according to a source who was told about the court's decision.
The court's examination of lists of witnesses and evidence is set to begin on Feb 11 next year, said the informed source.
The three parties now named defendants in the first out of several cases linked with the scandal are Treechada Jaisabai, 35, Pajaree Wongsomboon, 33, and Hanew Korea Co, said the source.
Ms Treechada was indicted on fraud and other related charges, while Hanew Korea Co and Ms Pajaree were indicted for being hired to produce fake cosmetics and other related misconduct including using cosmetics labels with the intent to mislead consumers about the actual properties of the product, said Prayut Phetkhun, deputy spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General.
The charges were associated with the trio's involvement in false advertisements run around February of last year about the armpit-whitening properties of a skincare serum product distributed by Magic Skin Co, said the same source.
The misconduct had resulted in a total of 145 consumers losing a combined amount of 10 million baht between April last year and February this year, said the source who cited the indictments.
The other three parties in the same case are Magic Skin Co, Korn Phuangson, 37, and Wannapha Phuangson, said Mr Prayut.
The three had failed to show up to hear their indictments on Dec 13, so prosecutors requested that police track them down and bring them to stand trial in court, he said.
In a second case linked with the same scandal, six parties charged for their involvement in the production and distribution of fake food supplements and cosmetics had their lawyers request a postponement of a previous appointment for them to hear their indictments, said Mr Prayut.
The six parties are Magic Skin Co, Mr Korn, Ms Wannapha, Phiniti Tiranawatthuphon, Kasit Worachingtun and Maiyasit Sawangthammarat, he said.