Miss Universe owners face fraud and trafficking allegations

Arrest warrant issued for missing Thai mogul Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, arsenic co-owner investigated successful Mexico.

The Miss Universe contention has been overshadowed by ineligible play arsenic its owners look charges of fraud successful Thailand and an probe into drugs and weapons trafficking successful Mexico conscionable days aft the latest pageant concluded.

The Miss Universe Pageant, which erstwhile belonged to United States President Donald Trump, has been owned by Thai mogul Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip and her company, JKN Global, since 2022.

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Jakrajutatip is wanted successful Thailand aft she failed to be a Bangkok tribunal proceeding this week implicit a 30 cardinal baht ($930,000) ineligible quality with an capitalist successful JKN Global. The Bangkok South District Court said connected Wednesday that it had issued an apprehension warrant for Jakrajutatip, whose existent whereabouts are unknown, according to Thai media.

Jakrajutatip and JKN Global person been facing large equilibrium expanse problems since 2023, erstwhile the institution began to default connected payments to investors, according to the Associated Press quality agency. The institution filed for rehabilitation with a Thai bankruptcy tribunal successful 2024, and reportedly owes about3 cardinal baht ($92.63m), according to the Associated Press.

Earlier this year, Jakrajutatip and JKN Global were sanctioned by Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for publishing “false oregon misleading information” successful the company’s fiscal statement, and were fined 4 cardinal baht ($124,000).

The SEC connection said JKN Global did not afloat disclose to investors that it signed an October 2023 statement to merchantability 50 percent of its shares successful the Miss Universe Pageant to Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantu and his company, Legacy Holding Group USA Inc.

Jakrajutatip resigned from each positions successful the company, but she is inactive a shareholder pursuing the sanction, according to AP. She besides did not be the latest Miss Universe contention successful Bangkok earlier this month.

Cantu is facing abstracted ineligible troubles successful Mexico, wherever prosecutors said connected Wednesday that helium was nether probe for alleged arms, cause and substance trafficking betwixt Mexico and Guatemala, according to the AFP quality agency.

Prosecutors charged 13 radical successful transportation with the case, though Cantu has not been formally named yet, the AFP said.

The Miss Universe Pageant concluded connected November 21 pursuing a bid of scandals passim the contention season, including allegations that the contention was rigged.