Thai Police Question 2 Samsung Officials
By Kim Yoo-chul
Staff Reporter
Two executives from Samsung Electronics’ Thai subsidiary were questioned by Thai police in Bangkok Friday over alleged fraud, but were later released on $160,000 bail, the company said Sunday.
``Kim Chung-jun and Park Kwang-ki, the general manager and the managing director of Thai Samsung Electronics were released last Friday on bail of $80,000 each,’’ said an official from Samsung Electronics.
On Sept. 7, Thai police arrested the two Samsung executives separately after two Thai companies filed fraud charges against the two.
One Thai firm Sam Corp. filed a criminal complaint alleging losses of some $1.9 million due to fraud by Samsung, while another company named Triple A Prompt, also filed a civil suit against the company, demanding compensation of $17.3 million, foreign news wires reported, citing Thai police.
The charges allege that the two Samsung officials failed to make good on promises to compensate Thai resellers for the sale of old Samsung mobile phone stock. Thai Police have received about 1,000 similar complaints, according to reports.
But Samsung just denied the allegations.
``Our executives voluntarily appeared to the Thai police to explain the business disputes. We are in the situation of diversifying our distribution channels with other vendors,’’ said the Samsung official.
``We will respond in a very mature manner and also we are very sorry the Thai media made an otherwise minor case into a serious one,’’ the official added.