Popular emcee, Patcharasri "Kalamae" Benjamas, has admitted to exaggerating her claims about her food supplement products, but declined to acknowledge criminal charges under the Computer Crimes Act for uploading false information to social media, police said yesterday.
The deputy commander of the Consumer Protection Police Division, Chanannat Santhawanpat, told a press briefing yesterday that Patcharasri came to hear the charges against her at the division's headquarters on Monday.
According to Pol Col Chanannat, Patcharasri heard three charges in total -- two of which involved violations of the 1979 Food and Drugs Act. If found guilty of exaggerating her claims and advertising without official permission, the popular emcee may face up to three years in jail, and a fine of up to 30,000 baht.
However, she vehemently denied having entered false information into a computer system, which is a violation of the 2017 Computer Crimes Act that carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht, he said.
In a related development, lawyer and chairman of the Help Crime Victim Club, Achariya Ruangrattanapong, accompanied a consumer to file a fraud complaint against Patcharasri with Consumer Protection Police Division's Subdivision 4.
Patcharasri made headlines last month after the Food and Drug Administration (FAD) lodged a complaint against her for exaggerating the quality of her food supplement product.
She came under fire for overstating the effects of "Botera" on social media, saying that it has firmed up her skin and removed bags under her eyes. She also claimed she didn't need to resort to cosmetic surgery because the product made her features look more chiselled.