Thailand's Deputy Minister Of Finance Resigns After Being Entangled In Cambodian Online Fraud Cases

JAKARTA - Thailand's Deputy Minister (Wamen) of Finance, Vosapak Tanyawong resigned on Wednesday, October 22, after being suspected of being involved in a cyber scam or online fraud case based in Cambodia.

Citing AFP, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered Vopak, who has only served as Deputy Minister of Finance for a month to submit a written clarification this week on the charges.

Vopak is suspected of being involved in cyber scams after media lokasl "Whale Hunting" in its report linked the businessman to a suspected foreign fraudster linked to cross-border fraud operations in Cambodia.

The media accused Vorapak's wife of accepting a $3 million payment in cryptocurrencies this year from China-Kambodia criminal networks. The network that Vopak was originally investigating, which is part of the government committee.

Whale Hunting also reported that Vopak was once registered as an advisor to BIC Bank, a Cambodian bank linked to the alleged money laundering network.

Vorapak has denied the accusations he made today. He later told reporters that he was resigning to focus on the legal case that ensnared his name and his wife.

Vopak is known to have spent most of his career in the private financial sector before entering politics last year as an adviser to the finance minister at the time.

Previously, he held senior roles in leading global banks in Thailand, including Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase.

Corruption cases are often experienced in Thailand. Many times because of the close relationship between business and politics which often obscures boundaries.