By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE NOTORIOUS Zhang family has been suspected of still holding an undisclosed cache of digital tokens issued by an online casino, namely Shuffle.com, though they may already have sold off their paltry share in it, former Democrat MP Sirichok Sopa said today (Oct.22).
The Shuffle tokens each of which is currently circulated in crypto exchanges for about 0.50 dollar including the unknown amount allegedly co-owned by Taiyang Zhang and Bhumjaithai MP Suchada Zhang Tansap would likely outvalue the purported sale of their 1.47% share in the online casino registered in Curacao, Sirichok said.
The ex-MP said he was digging into accessible information to find out exactly how much the Zhang family was still holding among a total of 88 million digital coins originally issued by Shuffle.com, owned and operated by the British Virgin Islands-based Natural Nine BV Casinos where the Bhumjaithai MP’s spouse, an Australian national of Chinese descent, was known as a founding investor.
Ironically, Suchada had previously performed as secretary to Digital Economy & Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob, son of de facto Bhumjaithai boss Newin Chidchob, at the time when the Bhumjaithai-led government was launching a major crackdown on online gambling sites despite the fact that her own family had had solid interest in one which had remained intact until recently. Shuffle.com abruptly shut down access in Thailand at the height of scandals surrounding the Zhang family last week.
All gambling businesses including those online are ultimately illegal in Thailand, though they may have been registered overseas.
Given the government lawmaker’s alleged association with such illegal activity, the digital economy & society minister who concurrently acts as secretary-general of the largest ruling party would be inevitably held accountable for evidently keeping his former secretary at large, Sirichok said.
Suchada could possibly be subject to a criminal penalty more severe than that for allegedly concealing part of her family’s assets if she was found guilty in court of being connected with the illegal gambling activity which had earlier provided access for gamblers in this country, albeit registered overseas, the ex-MP pointed out.
Besides, the Bhumjaithai MP who had earlier declared an estimated 1.9 billion baht in assets to the authorities was invariably accused of keeping a lot more undeclared such as a 75-million-baht condo, a 13-million-baht luxury sedan, a three-million-baht luxury watch and the undisclosed amount of Shuffle coins.
In the face of a criminal lawsuit to be filed on basis of conflict of interest with the state pertaining to the alleged illegal business association, the first-time MP of Chaiyapum could possibly not only be deprived of her MP status and banned from political activity at all levels for life but sentenced to a jail term if finally found so guilty.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: Bhumjaithai MP Suchada Zhang Tansap and her spouse Taiyang Zhang. Photo – MGR Online
Insert: Former Democrat MP Sirichok Sopa. Photo – Naewna
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