Overview
- Vorapak Tanyawong announced his resignation on Oct 22, saying he sought to avoid distracting the new government and maintained his innocence.
- He rejected claims reported by Project Brazen’s Whale Hunting that his wife received US$3 million in cryptocurrency, calling the allegations a smear and preparing a defamation complaint.
- Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Oct 21 requested a written explanation and said Vorapak was never appointed to the government’s anti-scam committee.
- Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas had earlier said Vorapak would lead a money-tracing task, while the Finance Ministry’s Connect the Dots project targets December to complete coordination with the central bank, securities regulator and anti-money-laundering office.
- The dispute comes as UN assessments warn of expanding Southeast Asian scam compounds driven by crypto-fueled networks and a shift to satellite internet.