Police in Bangkok have questioned another Chinese family and two Thai men as the investigation into a network paying Thai men to falsely register as fathers of Chinese children widens, with 35 arrest warrants now issued.
Investigators brought in Chen Runxin, his partner Xiaochun Ma, and their son Pakin Ma, along with Chatchawan (surname withheld), the Thai man who signed as the child’s father, for further questioning on July 11. Chatchawan’s partner and relatives of the Chinese family helped translate during the interview.
Chatchawan’s partner told reporters that her sister in law, who is related to the Chinese family, had asked Chatchawan to sign as the child’s father so he could enrol in school. She said Chatchawan agreed out of sympathy and insisted no marriage registration took place, only a paternity acknowledgement, and that he received no payment, unlike other suspects accused of taking part in the wider scheme.
Asked why her own boyfriend, the sister in law’s partner, had not signed instead, she said she was not present when the paperwork was completed and did not know which hospital was involved or when it happened.
Following questioning, police detained Chen, Ma and Chatchawan ahead of a remand hearing at the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases on Monday, July 13. Relatives of the Chinese family and Chatchawan intend to seek bail, though investigating officers have opposed release and told them to file the request with the court at the remand stage instead.
Separately, police questioned Bud, 60, one of several men accused of acting as a so called ‘fake dad’. Asked why he signed the paternity documents, he said only, ‘I didn’t know, my boss told me to sign.’ He was also taken into custody.
Police confirmed that 35 arrest warrants have been issued in total following approvals granted on July 10, with no new warrants sought since. Officers are continuing to track down suspects who remain at large and expect to bring the remaining detainees to Bang Yi Ruea police station later on July 11, reported Amarin TV.
The story Fake dad network grows as police issue more warrants as seen on Thaiger News.
