Thai Bitcoin Scam Victim Expresses Satisfaction Over Settlement Talks

The Finnish victim involved in the elaborate Thai Bitcoin scam has reportedly expressed satisfaction over settlement talks with two key suspects.

Positive Settlement Talks

Aarni Otava Saarimaa, the Finn who was duped by Thai fraudsters in a $24 million Bitcoin scam, has received a satisfactory settlement deal after negotiating with two Thai suspects.

Saarimaa and the two principal suspects, Prasit Srisuwan, a prominent stock trader, and Chakris Ahmad of Expay Software Co. have signed a joint agreement, according to Pol Col Chakrit Sawasdee, deputy CSD chief. Sawasdee made this statement after his meeting with both parties. He also said that this move by both parties meant that Saarimaa could withdraw charges against Prasit and Chakris.

According to Prasit Srisuwan, one of the primary suspects in the case, he would have turned himself in to the DSI on August 27, but wanted Saarimaa to be present for a joint negation with the police. Prasit further stated that Saarimaa was a friend and colleague, and he claimed that they were both victims of the scam. The mastermind of the scam is said to have been Prinya Jaravijit, one of the primary suspects who was noticeably absent during the DSI probe and is currently at large.

Both sides refused to shed much light on their closed-door discussion, but indicated that the outcome was positive and satisfactory. Saarimaa has stated that he is delighted with his meeting between the two Thai suspects but declined to go into details.

Fraud charges against runaway suspect, Prinya, Jiratpisit and Tanasit, his younger brother, will be acknowledged by CSD investigators. If Prinya does not come out of hiding, officials will have to seek an arrest warrant from the court. Prinya’s parents might also be roped into the ongoing fraud charges by the CSD, after they were questioned on August 27.

The $24 Million Thai Bitcoin Scam

On August 8, 2018, actor Jiratpisit “Boom” Jaravijit, was arrested by the Thai police and tied to a $24 million Bitcoin scam. The actor and six other suspects, including Jiratpisit’s older siblings, were accused of defrauding a Finnish national.

Less than a week after he was arrested, the actor was released on bail of two million baht. However, his accounts and those of other suspects were frozen by the country’s anti-money laundering agency. Jiratpisit has claimed innocence throughout the entire ordeal and has said that his brother Prinya implicated him by wiring money into his bank account.

Things got interesting as the net spread wider to include more suspects in the Bitcoin scam scandal, including Prasit Srisuwan and employees of three commercial banks. The Bank of Thailand (BoT) stated that the scandal did not occur during virtual currency trading and is therefore not the fault of cryptocurrencies themselves.