Minister of Justice Follows Up on Progress after DSI Apprehends Mr. Chanin, Executive of STARK Company, Arriving in Thailand Today - Expediting Investigation for Transfer to Public Prosecutor

Minister of Justice Follows Up on Progress after DSI Apprehends Mr. Chanin, Executive of STARK Company, Arriving in Thailand Today - Expediting Investigation for Transfer to Public Prosecutor

On Sunday, June 23, 2024, at 8:30 AM, Police Major Yutthana Praedam, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), Acting Director-General of the DSI, led an inquiry official team from the Financial-Banking Crimes and Money Laundering Bureau and officers from Foreign Affairs and Transnational Crime Bureau, Special Operations Bureau, and the Surveillance and Intelligence Operation Team of the DSI to Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakan Province to apprehend Mr. Chanin (surname withheld), a director of Stark Corporation Public Company Limited, a suspect under the Criminal Court’s arrest warrant No. 2145/2566, dated July 5, 2023, who was a key suspect and had fled the country to avoid arrest since mid-2023. For this arrest of Mr. Chanin, Mr. Srettha Thavisin, the Prime Minister, coordinated with the authorities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to extradite Mr. Chanin, who was a suspect the DSI had requested the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to track and extradite, so that the DSI can take him to the public prosecutor for further legal proceedings according to the law.

Later, at 2:30 PM, Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong, the Minister of Justice, arrived at the DSI to follow up on the progress of Mr. Chanin's detention and interrogation. He confirmed that the operation to apprehend Mr. Chanin was carried out in full compliance with legal procedures and that it was a good thing that the suspect would enter the justice system to prove his guilt or innocence. The Ministry of Justice has overseen the DSI's investigation to ensure that it is conducted thoroughly and concisely, giving fairness to all parties. The Minister emphasized that this case is related to the capital market that the public and all sectors are interested in, in order to restore investor confidence in the country's financial and capital markets.

This case originated when the DSI, by the Financial-Banking Crimes and Money Laundering Bureau, began investigating it as a Special Case on June 20, 2023, with Police Major Yutthana Praedam, Acting Director-General of the DSI, as the head of the inquiry official team. Once the investigation was complete, the special case investigation file was sent to the public prosecutor at the Department of Special Litigation. On December 8, 2023, the public prosecutor decided to indict a total of 11 suspects on charges under the Securities and Exchange Act, B.E. 2535 (1992), the Criminal Code for public fraud, and the Anti-Money Laundering Act, B.E. 2542 (1999), and its amendments for money laundering. The inquiry official will transfer Mr. Chanin to the public prosecutor on Monday, June 24, 2024.