BANGKOK (The Nation Thailand/ANN): The Criminal Court in Bangkok on Thursday (December 26) acquitted three celebrity defendants in the high-profile Forex-3D case involving nearly 2.5 billion baht (RM330mil) and sentenced three others to 20 years in prison.
The public prosecutor had filed charges against Daryl Cai Yonghui, a Singaporean businessman, Pattanaphol Kunchorn (DJ Man), and singer Sutheewan Kunchorn, along with four others.
They were accused of jointly operating fraudulent loan schemes, defrauding the public, and introducing falsified or distorted information into a computer system.
The case involved 9,825 victims with total damage exceeding 2.487 billion baht.
Sutheewan, who had been detained for six months, was granted bail in November 2023, with a surety of 5 million baht.
The court on Ratchadaphisek Road convened at 9.40am, and after nearly two hours acquitted Sutheewan, Pattanaphol (her former husband), and Daryl Cai Yonghui. The court cited insufficient evidence and unclear financial trails linking the three to the offences. Pattanaphol is expected to be released later this evening.
In total, the court acquitted four defendants, while three others were each sentenced to nearly 50,000 years in prison – 9,825 counts each of five years – and ordered to pay 2.4 billion baht in restitution to the victims. The court later reduced their sentences to 20 years, the maximum allowed under the law.
Sutheewan, who attended the verdict announcement in person, expressed her relief, saying she was overjoyed for her child as the family could finally reunite for the New Year. She reiterated her innocence and emphasised that she had always complied with the law throughout the process.
"I want to thank everyone for their support and belief in me. Right now, I feel greatly relieved. I have no plans to take DJ Man anywhere for the New Year holidays; I just want him to be with our child," she said.
When asked about the possibility of remarrying DJ Man, Sutheewan said it was a matter for the future, and she was prioritising her child for now.
She added that if the prosecutor decides to appeal, her legal team is ready to fight the case at all levels. She also urged society to treat her and DJ Man fairly.
The Forex-3D case is one of Thailand's largest Ponzi schemes, with total losses in billions of baht. Lawsuits have been filed against 22 individuals and two corporate entities.
The scheme began when Apirak Kodti, chairman of the Thamma Apirak Foundation, deceived a large number of people. He collaborated with celebrities, singers, and actors to convince victims to invest in foreign currency exchange trading through a programme called Forex-3D, offering easy gains.
The scheme appeared credible, with a professional office on Ratchadaphisek Road and a team of company personnel adding to its legitimacy. But the Thai police arrested Apirak in 2021.
