Investigators await totals in online gambling kingpin's bank accounts

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has not yet been informed of the amount of money in eight bank accounts frozen in connection with cases against Panthawat Nakwisut, who has been charged with money laundering and colluding in online gambling, according to a DSI press release.

The DSI issued the release on Sunday after a question was raised on social media about the exact amounts of money in the eight bank accounts in the name of Lottery Online Company or Kong Salak Plus, of which Mr Panthawat is chief executive officer.

In the release, the DSI said it had pressed charges against Mr Panthawat in two cases.

The first case, No 288/2022, involved suspicious transfers of money from members of an online gambling website. In this case, Mr Panthawat had been charged with money laundering.

In the second case, No 6/2023, investigators had looked into the money trail of an online lottery platform and found 39 suspicious money transfers into Kong Salak Plus bank accounts. Investigators charged Mr Panthawat with colluding in online gambling.

On Jan 31, at about 10am, DSI investigators filed a request with the Criminal Court, seeking a warrant for Mr Panthawat's arrest. The court rejected the request.

An hour later, the investigators asked banks to freeze the eight bank accounts belonging to Kong Salak Plus. The accounts were frozen at about noon.

The DSI had also sought to freeze real property and registered assets acquired by Mr Panthawat and Kong Salak Plus between Jan 1, 2022 and the present time.

In the afternoon on Jan 31, Mr Panthawat, accompanied by a lawyer, reported to DSI investigators and acknowledged the two charges.

In the press release, the DSI said it had acted according to the law regarding the freezing of the bank accounts, and the bank had not yet informed it of the exact amounts of money in the accounts.