The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has asked prosecutors to indict Panthawat "Nott" Nakwisut, the embattled owner of the now-closed Kong Salak Plus online lottery platform and 16 others on charges of money laundering and gambling.
On Friday, DSI investigators submitted their probe report to public prosecutors at the Attorney-General's Office on Ratchadapisek Road in Bangkok.
According to Pongsathon Inamnuay, director of the DSI's anti-narcotics centre, the 17 suspects were among 41 people involved in the case. While four suspects were already in prison, 20 others had fled arrest warrants.
Mr Panthawat, better known as "Nott Kong Salak Plus," was the CEO of the popular Kong Salak Plus, which was shut down in February 2023. He was charged with colluding in money laundering.
Investigators found that Mr Panthawat had brought winning lottery tickets to a man identified as "Foey" to cash in cash prizes worth 53 million baht. The money was later transferred to Mr Panthawat's bank account.
The 16 other suspects were also charged with colluding in money laundering and organisng gambling services, as they were involved in opening bank accounts and withdrawing money, said Mr Pongsathon.
The DSI will submit 34 files containing over 10,000 pages against the 17 suspects to public prosecutors.
During questioning, all suspects denied the charges, but the DSI investigators obtained a cashier's check as evidence, said Mr Pongsathon.
The Kong Salak Plus CEO admitted it was the real cashier's check but denied the allegations. However, the DSI investigators found evidence that he and the other suspects committed the offenses and decided to indict them, according to the DSI's centre director.
Earlier, the DSI had investigated suspicious money transfers to Mr Panthawat's bank account, including the 53 million baht. Mr Panthawat had built a reputation for quickly contacting lottery prize winners after the numbers were drawn and delivering the money to them at home, earning applause from online lottery consumers.
Recently, he founded a political party called "Change" to contest the May 14 general election, where he served as the Change Party leader.
