Bangkok: With 12,000 pages of documents, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has handed over MP Chonnapat to the prosecutor for indictment in the online gambling case. The DSI has filed charges against Chonphat in a gambling website case, along with a case file exceeding 10,000 pages. Chonphat denies all charges and has filed nine requests for fairness, vowing to prepare evidence to prove his innocence.
According to Thai News Agency, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) brought the case file concerning online gambling websites, along with a summons for Mr. Chanonphat Naksua, MP for Songkhla Constituency 4 of the Kla Tham Party, to the Special Prosecutor's Office on Ratchadaphisek Road. The case file contains approximately 12,000 pages of documents packed in six boxes and includes four charges: jointly organizing unauthorized electronic gambling, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, and participation in a transnational organized crime syndicate, as well as charges of being part of a criminal organization.
Previously, the Attorney General had commented on the charges of criminal conspiracy under Section 209 of the Criminal Code and participation in a transnational organized crime group under the Act on Prevention and Suppression of Participation in Transnational Organized Crime B.E. 2556 (2013). Meanwhile, Mr. Chanonphat, who had previously appeared before DSI investigators to acknowledge the charges and denied all of them, appeared as scheduled today, submitting a letter requesting fairness to the prosecutor outlining nine points.
Mr. Chonnapat affirmed that he has no involvement with online gambling websites or money laundering, denying all charges. He has confidence in his actions and the judicial process. He acknowledged that the DSI has the right to make the charges and expressed confidence in the evidence he has prepared to fight the case and prove his innocence. He stated that being charged is an opportunity to clarify the facts and prove his innocence to the public. He emphasized that he will not use his parliamentary immunity to evade the judicial process and is ready to cooperate with the legal process.
For the online gambling website case, the Special Investigation Unit (DSI) has divided the proceedings into two cases. The first case involves Mr. Chanonphat Naksua, while the second focuses on the online gambling website network linked to him. In the gambling network case, the DSI has issued arrest warrants for 26 suspects; two have been arrested, while the remaining 24 are currently at large in neighboring countries. Authorities are coordinating the extradition process to bring them back to Thailand for prosecution.
Recently, the Special Prosecutor's Office has scheduled Mr. Chanonphat Naksua to appear on September 28th to hear the court's decision on whether or not to indict him, after receiving the case file from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and reviewing all the evidence.