Actress Usamanee “Kwan" Waitayanon and singer-actor Kanokchat “Typhoon" Munyad-on on Tuesday turned themselves in to police to acknowledge charges over their endorsement of cosmetic and weight-loss products linked to Magic Skin Co. The two were among five celebrities summonsed to meet interrogators today.
Ms Usamanee, 31, was accompanied by her lawyer at the Royal Thai Police Office in Bangkok's Pathumwan district.
Actor and singer Kanokchat, 27, also met interrogators on Tuesday to hear the charges linked to Magic Skin product reviews.
Pol Gen Wirachai Songmetta, deputy national police chief, said Ms Usamanee confessed to all charges after investigators pressed charges of making false advertisements for cosmetic products in violation of Section 41 of the 2015 Cosmetics Act. The offence carried a jail term of up to one year and/or a fine of 100,000 baht.
As for the jail term, the secretary-general of the FDA was authorised to impose a fine under Section 90 of the cosmetics law.
The investigators sent the actress to the FDA for the fine payments. The case ended as the actress would not be sent to court, said the deputy police chief.
The actor also confessed to all charges. He was charged with falsely presenting the properties of food supplements in a breach of Section 40 of the 1979 Food Act. The offence carried a jail term of up to three years and/or a fine of 30,000 baht.
As the offence against the actor carried a jail term of up to 3 years, it was beyond the authority of the FDA secretary-general to impose a fine in lieu of the jail term. The investigators would take him to the Bangkok South Municipal Court for trial, said Pol Gen Wirachai.
Mr Kanokchat said he was ready to give full cooperation to police. He insisted he initially checked the product and found it got approval from FDA and tested it. However, the product was later found to be unlawful.
The actor-cum-singer admitted it was his mistake and this would give him a lesson before reviewing any product, Thai media reported.
Actor Kanokchat “Typhoon’’ Munyad-on, 27, give a wai to reporters and police as he arrives at the Royal Thai Police Office to hear charges. (Photo by Somchai Poomlard)
A total of 13 celebrities were to hear charges over their endorsements of the products.
Five of 13 celebrities were scheduled to hear the charges today, but three did not appear. One of them was working abroad and the two others requested postponements until June 13, said deputy national police chief Wirachai Songmetta.
The remaining 8 celebrities were summonsed to hear the charges on June 12 and June 13.
Another 24 people were likely to face the same charges and police were gathering evidence, Thai media reported.
In May last year, police and officials searched Talat Mai Don Muang market in Bangkok for unlicensed cosmetics and food supplement products.
A large amount of food supplements and cosmetics suspected to be substandard or not registered with the FDA were seized for inspection.
Deputy national police chief Wirachai Songmetta displays evidence concerning actress Usamanee “Kwan’’ Waitayanon's product review. (Photo by Somchai Poomlard)