Dutch National Johannes Van Laarhoven Pleads Not Guilty to Money Laundering Charges in Pattaya

PATTAYA–  Dutch National Johannes Petrus Maria van Laarhoven and his spouse Mingkwan Vanarhoven pleaded not guilty on Friday to money laundering charges involving several million euros brought against them by public prosecutors.

 Johannes Petrus Maria van Laarhoven, 54, and Mingkwan Kaen-in, or Mingkwan Vanarhoven, 32, were indicted in the Criminal Court on Friday for alleged violation of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 1999.

The first court hearing was set for set Dec 22, 2014

The pair were arrested in Pattaya on July 23 in a joint operation involving the Office of the Attorney-General, the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) and the Department of Special Investigation.

According to the case filed by prosecutors, the defendants and accomplices transferred several million euros obtained from the sale of drugs from banks in Europe and one in Singapore to Mr Laarhoven’s Kasikorn Bank accounts in Pattaya between July 2008 and June this year.

The couple used the money to buy several blocks of land, buildings and cars worth more than 100 million baht, according to the prosecution case.

Mr Laarhoven is being detained at Bangkok Remand Prison and Mrs Mingkwan  at the Central Women’s Correctional Institution.

The court on Wednesday threw out a counter-lawsuit against prosecutors and Amlo chief Seehanat Prayoonrat lodged by the defendants’ lawyers on Oct 8.

Suprawat Jaismut, one of the defense lawyers, said he had not yet seen the court’s full decision on the counter-lawsuit and would consult his clients on whether to take the case to the Appeals Court.