BANGKOK: Actors 'Sam' Pamornmontri and 'Min' Wattanamontree were granted bail by the Criminal Court on Monday (April 27) after prosecutors indicted them in connection with the iCon Group case.
The court set bail at THB1 million each and imposed a condition prohibiting both defendants from leaving Thailand unless they receive court permission. The court also ordered that immigration police be notified of the travel restriction.
The ruling came after prosecutors from the Special Litigation Office 1 took the two actors to the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road to file charges in the fraud case linked to the iCon Group. The indictment followed an earlier postponement after both suspects requested more time on March 26 to arrange bail securities and legal representation.
In considering the bail request, the court noted that prosecutors had previously issued a non-indictment order for the two defendants and that they had earlier been released. Prosecutors later decided to indict them in the same case and on the same allegations, meaning the case still involved issues for the defendants to contest.
The court also found that both defendants had appeared in court as scheduled for the filing of the indictment and that there was no indication they would flee or interfere with evidence. Prosecutors also did not object to their temporary release.
Although the court had previously denied bail during the investigation stage, it said circumstances in the case had now changed. The court therefore found there were reasonable grounds to grant temporary release during trial.
However, given the large number of alleged victims and the high value of the alleged damage, the court required bail of THB1 million for each defendant.
Earlier, Witoon Kengngan, a lawyer for the iCon Group suspects, said both actors were under stress and feared they might not be granted temporary release. He said they were also shocked that prosecutors had filed charges including the alleged pyramid-scheme element, despite what he described as insufficient further questioning on key points.
Witoon said he was surprised that Min and Sam had been indicted on the same charges as other suspects. He argued that the facts of each defendant’s involvement should be separated, particularly as Min became a presenter in 2023, while Sam became a presenter around October 2023.
He also questioned the basis for the allegation linked to the “dealer get dealer” promotion. According to Witoon, later testimony suggested that the payment was made only once and only to those who introduced others to open purchase bills, rather than being paid monthly or paid to those who opened the bills themselves.
He said this was an important distinction because officials had allegedly understood the promotion as a monthly return structure, which contributed to the view that it was a pyramid scheme. Witoon argued that, in business terms, a one-time payment would be a commission and, in legal terms, a brokerage fee.
After the indictment was filed, both defendants initially submitted bail applications with securities worth THB3 million each. The court later approved temporary release at THB1 million each with the travel ban condition.
Min had earlier explained her position through her personal TikTok account, saying she was shocked to be required to prove herself in court again after prosecutors had previously ordered a non-indictment on Jan 8.
She said she had fully cooperated with all agencies from the beginning and had submitted several petitions for fairness, including her latest submission on April 7.
Min said she asked that, if prosecutors decided to indict her, the case should be based on the actual period and number of times she worked with the iCon Group, rather than grouping her together with the company’s entire period of operation.
She also asked to be allowed to exercise her basic right to bail so she could fight the case outside custody, gather evidence and prove her innocence.
Min insisted she would not flee, saying she had a fixed residence and would face significant losses if she attempted to escape. - The Nation/ANN
