Singapore businessman accuses military officer of fraud

A SINGAPOREAN businessman today (June 8, 2018) filed a complaint at Thonglor police station against an unnamed Thai military officer for defrauding him out of US$750,000 or around 24 million baht, the Thai-language daily Mitichon reported.

Mr Wong Ji Meng, or Jimmy, accompanied by his lawyer, Mr Somyot Phongsi, told police that he came to Thailand last December to expand his business here without knowing anyone at all.

However, his friend introduced him to a Thai military officer of lieutenant-general rank, and as he was impressed with his senior rank, he started respecting and trusting him.

This senior officer then invited him to invest in a business selling gold and borrowed 100,000 baht to register a company in Samut Prakarn, he said, adding that the senior officer borrowed more cash from him with a promise to return it once he got his profit.

Mr Jimmy added that on March 22 this officer took US$750,000 from him, or around 24 million baht at today’s exchange rate, by asking him to transfer it the company he had set with the pretext being to invest in the gold business.

While he signed a Thai-language contract on this investment even though he could not read Thai, he said he did so because of the officer’s senior rank, but when the time came to get a return on investment, the senior officer could no longer be found, he told the police.

Thonglor police investigators have accepted the embezzlement complaint and are proceeding to investigate the case.

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Top: Mr Jimmy at Thonglor police station earlier today. Photo: Matichon

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