Dutchman On Huge Laundering Charges

[Sumocakewalk]

Bangkok Post
October 17, 2014
Writer: Online Reporters

A Dutchman and his Thai wife on Friday pleaded not guilty to money laundering charges involving several million euros brought against them by public prosecutors. Johannes Petrus Maria van Laarhoven, 54, and Mingkwan Kaen-in, or Mingkwan Vanarhoven, 32, were indicted in the Criminal Court on Friday for alleged violation of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 1999.

The couple were arrested in Pattaya on July 23 in a joint operation involving the Office of the Attorney-General, the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) and the Department of Special Investigation.

According to the case filed by prosecutors, the defendants and accomplices transferred several million euros obtained from the sale of drugs from banks in Europe and one in Singapore to Mr Laarhoven's Kasikornbank accounts in Pattaya between July 2008 and June this year. Their electronic transactions included 500,000 euros wired from Deefety Holdings Ltd, a firm they set up in Cyprus, to the Thai bank.

More money was transferred by SWIFT electronic transactions from Deutche Bank in Germany under instructions of the Edmond de Rothchild Bank in Luxembourg and Julius Baer Bank in Singapore, the case report said. SWIFT is the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, a standard method of interbank transfer.

They used the money to buy several blocks of land, buildings and cars worth more than 100 million baht, according to the prosecution case.

Mr Laarhoven is being detained at Bangkok Remand Prison and Mrs Mingkwan at the Central Women's Correctional Institution.

The court on Wednesday threw out a counter-lawsuit against prosecutors and Amlo chief Seehanat Prayoonrat lodged by the defendants' lawyers on Oct 8. Suprawat Jaismut, one of the defence lawyers, said he had not yet seen the court's full decision on the counter-lawsuit and would consult his clients on whether to take the case to the Appeals Court.

Dutchman, wife fight million-euros money laundering charges | Bangkok Post: news

[wasabi]

They inject a lot of foreign currency into the Thai economy, and get arrested, something not right here.
There is more to this story.

[kingwilly]

They used the money to buy several blocks of land, buildings and cars worth more than 100 million baht, according to the prosecution case.

Mr Laarhoven is being detained at Bangkok Remand Prison and Mrs Mingkwan at the Central Women's Correctional Institution.

A slight downsize in their living arrangements.

[Kurgen]

I wonder what will happen to their ill gotten gains?