Arrest Warrant Issued for Miss Universe Co-Owner amid Controversies

An arrest warrant has reportedly been issued for the co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization.

According to France 24 and The Independent, the Bangkok South Civil Court has issued a warrant for Jakapong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, whose company JKN Global Group co-owns the international pageant, in connection with a fraud case. 

In 2023, a plastic surgeon accused Jakrajutatip of fraud and concealing information while trying to persuade him to invest in her company, per France 24. A court statement shared with Agence France-Presse (AFP), per France 24, on Wednesday, Nov. 26, read. “The defendant invited (the plaintiff) to invest knowing her inability to return the money within the appointed time.”

At the time, Jakrajutatip was charged with fraud and released on bail, and on Tuesday, she failed to appear in court in Bangkok in relation to the case, per The Independent. 

A verdict in the $930,000 case had been scheduled for Tuesday, according to AFP. 

According to a statement from the Bangkok South Civil Court, per The Independent, as Jakrajutatip failed to tell the court about her absence, she has been deemed a flight risk. 

Local media reports suggested Jakrajutatip had left for Mexico, per France 24. Miss Universe 2025 was held at Impact Challenger Hall in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday, Nov. 20, with Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch being crowned the winner.

The verdict for Jakrajutatip’s case has been rescheduled for Dec. 26.

Earlier this year, the Miss Universe Organization said in a statement, “these legal proceedings are entirely separate,” per France 24.

PEOPLE has reached out to Miss Universe and the Courts of Justice in Thailand for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The news of an arrest warrant reportedly being issued for Jakrajutatip comes after weeks of controversy surrounding the contest.

On Nov. 4, the organization made headlines when a livestream showed a heated confrontation between pageant executive Nawat Itsaragrisil and eventual winner Bosch. Following the incident, Miss Universe president Raúl Rocha, who is also a co-owner of the organization, announced multiple sanctions against Itsaragrisil, including his restriction from the pageant.

Musician Omar Harfouch then publicly resigned from his position on the selection committee on Nov. 18, just days before the competition. Harfouch previously alleged that the Miss Universe Organization had formed an “impromptu jury” to choose 30 finalists before participants from 136 countries even took the stage for the preliminary round.

The pageant has refuted Harfouch’s claims. That same day, soccer player Claude Makélélé then announced he was also withdrawing from his position as a judge, citing personal reasons, while president of the selection committee, Princess Camilla di Borbone delle Due Sicilie, also resigned.

Just days after the contest crowned its winner, Rocha — whose company Legacy Holding Group USA bought 50 percent of the organization in 2022 from Jakrajutatip’s JKN Global — said he was looking to sell his stake.

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Speaking to Mexican journalist Adela Micha on Monday, Nov. 24, in an interview conducted in Spanish, Rocha opened up about the competition and shared his response to several recent allegations of misconduct aimed at the organization.

Noting that he was “looking for someone to pass it on to,” Rocha added, as translated into English, “This is like a test, like a relay race. Who do I pass the baton to?”

When Micha asked why Rocha changed his mind since acquiring the international pageant in January 2024, Rocha said, “It’s just that I’m so fed up. I’m so fed up with all the talk. I don’t lend myself to that kind of thing.”