Thailand’s anti-money laundering agency (SEC) has ordered the freezing of accounts of businesswoman Anne Jakrajutatip, who is co-owner of the Miss Universe brand with controversial Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú. The anti-money laundering authority of the Asian country accuses Jakrajutatip of fraud, against whom there is also an arrest warrant for not appearing at a hearing in the trial that was initiated against him for that crime. Meanwhile, Rocha Cantú faces accusations of arms trafficking, fuel theft and money laundering in Mexico.
Thailand’s SEC has also blocked the accounts of the firm JKN Global Group, through which Jakrajutatip acquired 50% of the shares of Miss Universe. His partnership with Rocha Cantú occurred in January 2024, after selling half of the brand to the company Legacy Holding Group USA Inc., owned by the Mexican magnate, for $16 million. From that moment on, Rocha Cantú became the owner of the rights to Miss Universe in Mexico.
The SEC of Thailand accuses Jakrajutatip of publishing JKN financial statements with false statements or that concealed material facts that should have been disclosed, in the period of 2022 and 2023. The businesswoman and other accomplices are also accused of having simulated the purchase of JKN licenses through front men of Jakrajutatip itself. The Thai agency adds that the defendants used insider information to sell company shares. The SEC maintains that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties and misappropriated JKN assets, harming the company’s assets and its creditors.
Following the allegations, Jakrajutatip resigned from his management positions at JKN Global Group, but retained the majority of the shares. The businesswoman made headlines in 2022, when she bought Miss Universe for $20 million. The media highlighted the fact that, beyond her fortune, Jakrajutatip is a transgender woman, who has invested large resources in causes of the LGBTIQ+ community.
Jakrajutatip’s Mexican partner, Rocha Cantú, also has pending cases with the authorities of the Latin American country for his alleged involvement in an organized crime plot. Justice has issued an arrest warrant against the businessman, who, under pressure, moved the Miss Universe headquarters from Mexico to New York. Rocha Cantú also lives outside of Mexico. Recently, he was caught on vacation in Paris.
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