DSI searches for more iCon evidence

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on Thursday searched a building in Bung Kum district of Bangkok for more evidence about the business operations of The iCon Group, the online sales firm accused of running a pyramid scheme that brought losses to more than 1,000 victims.
Investigators armed with a search warrant entered the building on Ratchada-Ram Indra Road in the Nuan Chan area at about 11am on Thursday. They had reliable information that iCon had rented a cloud server there to back up its data, said Pol Maj Woranan Srilam, a DSI spokesman.
Investigators had to move quickly as digital evidence could be changed easily and rapidly, he added.
An initial investigation found that the server held data about all activities of the online business that would be useful, said Pol Maj Woranan, also director of a DSI unit that handles cases in the informal financial sector.
The DSI expected the data to yield more information about key members of the iCon sales network, he said.
The person in charge of the building was only the lessor and not affiliated with The iCon Group. They provided full cooperation to DSI investigators while they backed up the data from the server, said Pol Maj Woranan.
“Aside from the money trail of the firm, the DSI will look into the company’s accounting to find out whether there are any irregularities in the business operation,” he said.
“We have been given cooperation from the Central Institute of Forensic Science to collect digital evidence.”
The DSI is also looking to search a house in Pathum Thani where a key computer programmer for the firm lived, the spokesman added.
All 18 suspects — dubbed “bosses” in the iCon marketing hierarchy — were arrested on Wednesday night. They included founder and CEO Warathaphon “Boss Paul” Waratyaworrakul, 41.
The suspects, some of them celebrities, face charges of public fraud and putting false information into a computer system. All suspects were taken into custody overnight at the police Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok.
Withoon Keng-ngarn, the lawyer for Mr Warathaphon, on Thursday visited his client, who denied all charges and confirmed the original testimony he gave to authorities.
Seventeen of the suspects were taken to court on Thursday afternoon. Police were continuing to question Mr Warathaphon and said he would be brought to court on Friday.
Mr Withoon said it was the right of the police to oppose bail applications, but the legal team has prepared bail surety for all suspects.
“We will tell the court that all suspects have shown no sign of intent to escape. They earlier reported to police and have been giving their side of the story since Oct 12. They will report to authorities every five days,” the lawyer said before the court hearing.
He said Mr Warathaphon was not worried if his bail request was denied. His client said it was only a change of place to sleep as life would go on.
Mr Warathaphon was taken into custody at the Consumer Protection Board office at around 4pm on Wednesday. He had gone there to give a statement about the operations of his business.
The 17 other suspects — including celebrity Yuranunt “Boss Sam” Pamornmontri, actress Pechaya “Boss Min” Wattanamontree, Kan Kantathavorn, a well-known TV host and actor – were subsequently arrested.