BANGKOK, THAILAND – Opposition figure Rangsiman Rome faced a 100-million-baht defamation suit as Thai authorities froze billions in assets linked to alleged international fraud networks and prepared a constitutional case against him and former Move Forward MPs.
Timelines and allegations
On 23 February 2026, Rangsiman Rome, deputy leader of the People’s Party, appeared at the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok. Judges scheduled the evidentiary hearings in the defamation case filed by financier Benjamin Mauerberger, also known as Ben Smith, for May 2027.
The combined criminal and civil action stemmed from remarks made by Rangsiman in parliament and in media interviews. He had linked Mauerberger to a fraud syndicate and alleged money-laundering activities.
Legal strategy and witness list
Mauerberger had previously authorised his representative Thanadol Suwannarit to seek 100 million baht in damages in court. The Criminal Court accepted the case in January and set four hearing days in May 2027.
Rangsiman entered a not guilty plea and said he would contest all accusations in full. He argued that his statements had been made as part of his duties as a member of parliament.
Smith family and international angle
Notably, Rangsiman named not only the plaintiff but also the financier’s wife and children as defence witnesses. He said they were connected to shareholdings and frozen accounts and were therefore relevant for tracing money flows.
He also listed American journalist Tom Wright among his witnesses. From Dubai, where he had been working in investment and real estate since leaving Thailand in September, Mauerberger rejected any involvement in criminal conduct and described the allegations as defamatory and damaging to his business.
Frozen billions and the Tangthai complex
In parallel, the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) froze assets that, according to official figures, totalled 12.12 billion baht in one report. A separate submission to prosecutors in four case files cited 13.07 billion baht.
Among those named as accused were Ben Smith, Kok An, Yim Leak and Chen Zhi. Chen Zhi was arrested in Cambodia in January and deported to China, while authorities in Phnom Penh revoked casino licences linked to the tycoon’s circle.
Deadlines for seizure and Rome’s criticism
The Thai Office of the Attorney General now had to decide whether to file court petitions to confiscate the frozen assets before a 1 March deadline. These confiscation actions were civil in nature, while criminal investigations continued in parallel.
Rangsiman said the secured sums represented only a small fraction of the money flows in the so‑called Tangthai case. He argued they merely scratched the surface and left core structures of the alleged networks untouched.
Huione Pay and Operation “Skyfall”
According to him, the Huione Pay case stood at the centre of further inquiries, now handled by the Central Investigation Bureau. The Technology Crime Suppression Division had previously targeted a cross-border money-laundering network tied to the payment platform under Operation “Skyfall”.
During Skyfall, police arrested three Myanmar nationals. They were accused of public fraud, forming a criminal association, inserting false computer data and laundering money, while officers seized more than 46 million baht in cash.
Facebook fraud scheme and money trails
The investigation originated from an online investment scam in which victims were lured via a Facebook page into supposed stock groups on Line. They were then directed to a fake app promising returns of around 10 percent.
One victim transferred more than 20 million baht through numerous mule accounts, according to investigators. Police traced cryptocurrency transactions to Huione Pay wallets in Cambodia and then followed cash movements through Mae Sot in Tak province across the border to Myawaddy in Myanmar.
Missing arrest warrants and political pressure
Rangsiman criticised what he saw as insufficient expansion of probes after the Skyfall arrests. He argued this had given alleged key figures time to move assets and reduced victims’ chances of receiving compensation.
He also publicly questioned why no arrest warrants had been issued so far for Ben Smith and his wife, which could serve as a basis for Interpol Red Notices and travel restrictions. He again pointed to alleged links between “grey capital” networks, the scam industry in Cambodia and relatives of Prime Minister Hun Sen, stressing that these claimed connections had not yet been tested in court.
NACC case and political future
While AMLO’s confiscation requests were under review by prosecutors and any future victim compensation depended on court rulings, criminal investigations into Huione Pay and related networks continued under the Royal Thai Police.
At the same time, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) listed Rangsiman among 44 former MPs of the now-dissolved Move Forward Party. A complaint over their 2021–2023 initiative to amend Thailand’s lèse-majesté provision was being prepared for the Constitutional Court.
“The defamation proceedings will not affect my parliamentary work or the opposition role of the People’s Party.”
said Rangsiman Rome, deputy leader of the People’s Party.