A 47-year-old woman has been charged with fraud after demanding 6 million baht from the owner of a cosmetics and food supplements firm embroiled in the Magic Skin case.
Worakan Duangchanto falsely told the victim the money would be used for bribes so that charges related to the would be dropped, police said.
Ms Worakan, a Lop Buri resident, was brought before a police media briefing at the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) on Thursday afternoon, police said yesterday.
She was apprehended earlier that day and one million baht in cash seized from her at a restaurant opposite Phranakhon Rajabhat University in Bang Khen district of Bangkok.
CSD chief Pol Maj Gen Maitri Chimcherd said Ms Worakan demanded six million baht from Thanathin Rodwatthanaphong, owner of Siam Health & Beauty Care Co Ltd in Samut Sakhon's Muang district.
The firm was one of several raided and charged by police and the Food and Drug Administration in May for procuring products for the Magic Skin brand, which has been accused of selling fake and sub-standard cosmetics and food supplements.
Mr Thanathin at the time consulted Ms Worakan, who has her own cosmetics and food supplement brands. The woman allegedly claimed she was acquainted with a phu yai, or influential person, who could help Mr Thanathin get off the charges.
She also allegedly claimed she could get the administrator of a famous Facebook page which exposed Magic Skin's second-rate products, to bury the news story involving his company.
She then demanded 6 million baht from Mr Thanathin, who agreed to pay her in three instalments of two million baht each.
After giving her the money Mr Thanathin became suspicious and checked with officials handling the case. After realising he was being duped, he tried to get Ms Worakan to return the money. Only 1 million baht was repaid.
However, Ms Worakan later asked the million baht back, saying the phu yai was angry that the money he was due was instead returned to Mr Thanathin.
Mr Thanathin decided then to file a complaint with the CSD.
He then told the woman he would give her the 1 million baht at the restaurant where she was later arrested.