Cops wrap up initial ‘Nice Review’ probe

Police yesterday handed over a preliminary investigation file into the “Nice Review” Ponzi scheme, which allegedly caused at least 368.6 million baht in damage to at least 2,060 people, to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

The DSI expects to wrap up the probe and seek the suspects’ indictment by February next year, said DSI directorgeneral Pol Col Paisit Wongmuang.

So far assets with a combined value of 175 million baht have been seized and a number of suspects have been arrested.

The DSI is now encouraging more people affected by this large-scale Ponzi scheme to come forward and lodge complaints.

“Only those damaged parties whose names are included in the investigation file will be entitled to receive a share of any compensation if the court rules to auction seized assets to get money back to the victims,” he said.

The deadline for damaged parties to lodge their complaints with the police is Friday, he said.

As for the “Mae Manee” Ponzi scheme case, which allegedly involves 3,965 damaged parties and 2 billion baht in damage, Pol Col Paisit said the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) had so far seized assets worth about 56 million baht while a total of 150 key suspects have been interrogated.

“The DSI now expects to wrap up this probe and forward its investigation report to prosecutors by Jan 8 next year,” he said.

Pol Col Paisit also announced that another 91 million baht in assets have been seized in the investigation into Forex 3D, another high-profile Ponzi scheme.

“A number of damaged parties in these Ponzi scheme cases were found to be well aware that they were putting money into fake investment programmes and they had even lured people they knew into investing in the same scam,” according to Pol Col Paisit.

As a result, these “damaged parties” will also be regarded as suspects in the cases, he said.