The wife and daughter of Boon Vanasin, the founder of Thonburi Healthcare Group (THG), who remains at large in China, have reportedly surrendered to police in response to warrants issued on charges of public fraud.
Jaruwan Vanasin, 79, and her daughter, Nalin, 51, declined to speak to the media on Saturday. Their lawyer told reporters that they had surrendered and denied all allegations.
The pair claimed they had no involvement in the alleged fraudulent schemes, denied signing any cheques, and said their signatures had been forged.
The Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) obtained court approval on Friday for the arrest of Dr Boon, 86, along with his wife and daughter. Warrants were also issued for six other suspects, who were all arrested on Friday.
The suspects are all accused of misleading people into investing in medical businesses promoted by Dr Boon.
Dr Boon is also alleged to have forged his former daughter-in-law’s signature to secure a loan, causing damages estimated at 7.5 billion baht. The Criminal Court approved the arrest warrant for Dr Boon on charges of public fraud, fraudulent borrowing, money laundering and issuing bad cheques.
Similar charges have been filed against the other suspects. Between December last year and October this year, 527 complaints were lodged against Dr Boon at the Huai Khwang police station by victims unable to cash cheques he had issued.
Dr Boon used his reputation as a successful hospital executive to promote five medical-related projects, including a cancer centre, a wellness centre in Thailand, hospitals in Laos and Vietnam, and a medical intelligence project, to attract investments.
The total investment in the five projects was over 16 billion baht, with promises of 700 million baht in profits for 2023 and 1 billion baht for this year. Although initial payments were made, subsequent payments were missed, leading to issues with investors trying to cash their cheques, said a source familiar with the investigation.
Pol Maj Gen Noppasin Poonsawat, deputy commissioner of the MPB, said on Saturday that Dr Boon left Thailand on Sept 29, travelling from Bangkok to Hong Kong before continuing to China.
Dr Boon in 2022 ran afoul of stock market regulators for releasing false information that inflated the share price of THG. The previous year, he had announced that THG had bought 20 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer for delivery to Thailand. The deliveries never took place.
On Friday, police arrested two women linked to Dr Boon’s network at a law firm in Bang Bua Thong district of Nonthaburi. They were also charged with fraud and fraudulent borrowing. Police identified them only as 38-year-old Siriwimol and Jidapha, 53. Seized from them was a Mercedes-Benz.
Police arrest two women on fraud charges related to investments promoted by hospital tycoon Boon Vanasin at a law firm in Nonthaburi on Friday. (Photo: Metropolitan Police Bureau’s IDMB Facebook