Police complaint against UFUN

The resort is being operated by a Thai subsidiary of Bina Puri, a major Malaysian-based construction firm.

At the Consumer Protection Police Division, Pairat Chanchaikaew submitted documents to explain the company’s innocence to assistant police chief Lt-General Suwira Songmetta. 

Pairat explained that UFUN in 2013 bought 29 per cent of shares worth Bt17 million in Bina Puri (Thailand) – but didn’t send anyone to represent it on the board, leaving it with no participation in the company’s management.

A UFUN branch, UTR Co, also bought 100 units worth Bt150 million in the Bangkok Marina Resort & Spa Project, he added. 

Since then, UFUN had used the company’s pictures and logo to promote its various activities and advertising, leading to damage to his company, Pairat alleged.

“We had previously warned UFUN not to do this and had filed a police daily record of it,” he recalled. 

After the UFUN fraud allegations broke and resulted in arrests, damage was caused to Bina Puri’s reputation in Malaysia. Its credibility and reputation were being used by UFUN so he filed the police complaint, he said. The company would compile evidence for legal action against UFUN later on. 

Suwira, who heads the UFUN case investigation, said a total of 131 people sustained financial damages worth Bt43 million so far and had filed police complaints. 

In Chiang Mai province, gay rights activist and UFUN member Natee Teerarojpong, said he didn’t believe the company was fraudulent, and he wouldn’t organise any more related activities. He had previously urged national police chief General Somyos Poompanmuang to ensure police neutrality and fair treatment to the members while investigating this scheme.

Natee admitted that his confidence in the company was slightly reduced, but he said he hadn’t totally lost confidence or been disheartened. 

He said he would also adhere to police advice by using U-Tokens to buy goods, particularly gold and jewellery, which could be turned into cash later on. Natee insisted most members did business with UFUN because they were confident in the Office of the Consumer Protection Board’s decision to approve the company’s operations in Thailand. When this problem arose, they were worried that they could become fraud suspects. He said UFUN members should be regarded as damaged persons too.

He also urged that, since UFUN executive chairman Daniel Tay, of Malaysia, had affirmed via YouTube that the company did not operate a pyramid scheme and had no intention of cheating the public, police should give it a chance for negotiation to minimise damage.

The UFUN Store cancelled its press conference in Malaysia yesterday – but later assigned its lawyer in Thailand to address the press at Maple Hotel in Bang Na district later in the day, as it was a legal case. The firm hopes to ensure effective communications to maximise benefits. 

At a press conference in Bangkok yesterday, lawyer Jessada Jandee said the firm’s executives have no intention of fleeing and that the team of lawyers had been told to investigate two points. The points are: why had the Thai police issued arrest warrants without prior summons as well as the facts and information that led to the issuing of the arrest warrants. 

 The conference was held an hour later than scheduled. 

Meanwhile, UFUN Co Ltd’s executive chairman Daniel Tay appeared in another YouTube clip yesterday explaining that the media interview at the firm’s head office in Malaysia had been “rescheduled to 5pm at Bangkok” because the company-assigned lawyer would “handle the case for them” and “make necessary declarations on the issue”. 

Calling on UFUN members, especially those in Thailand, not to believe rumours and remain calm, Tay said he would refrain from any interviews and advised UFUN leaders to do the same. He said the matter should be left up to the lawyers.