A week after the annual competition concluded, Miss Universe is making more ugly headlines. This time it’s the co-owner of the pagent who is in hot water. Ahead of the 2025 event in Thailand, the organization faced backlash when one of its judges quit amid allegations of an impromptu jury that had reportedly pre-selected the finalists.
Now, Jakapong “Anne” Jakrajutatip is the one in trouble for an alleged crime which took place in 2023. An arrest warrant has been issued for the Thai businesswoman.
Her company, JKN Global Group, co-owns Miss Universe along with Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.
Miss Universe co-owner Jakapong “Anne” Jakrajutatip is wanted in connection to a fraud case
The alleged scandals keep piling up for those affiliated with Miss Universe. France 24 reports that the Bangkok Civil Court are looking to arrest Jakapong.
Two years ago, a plastic surgeon accused her of fraud and concealing information in an attempt to persuade him to invest in her company. A court statement on Wednesday said, “The defendant (Jakapong) invited (the plaintiff) to invest knowing her inability to return the money within the appointed time.”
At the time, Jakapong was released on bail, with the owner failing to appear in a Bangkok court on Tuesday. Because she apparently didn’t explain her absence to the court, she’s been deemed a flight risk. There are reports that she may be in Mexico.
Fátima Bosch, who is Mexican, took home the Miss Universe crown last week. Before that moment, Omar Harfouch quit as a judge over reports of an impromptu jury. Former French football player Claude Makélélé also stepped away from judging duties for personal reasons.
A verdict in the $930,000 fraud case against Jakapong was supposed to come down Tuesday. That has since been rescheduled for December 26.
TELL US – SHOULD JAKAPONG FACE ADDITIONAL CHARGES FOR FAILING TO APPEAR IN COURT?
