Following a complaint filed in August last year against Amway, its Indian CEO, William Pinckney, has once again been arrested.

The latest complaint was filed in the Indian state of Andrhra Pradesh, with

Kurnool Superintendent of Police Raghurami Reddy (saying) they had been collecting a lot of documentary evidence leading up to the arrest.

Pinckney and Amway have been charged with violating the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Act, and whereas Pinckney was granted bail the last time he was arrested (almost exactly a year ago in a different state), this time bail was denied.

The contents of the complaint against Pinckney (right) and Amway haven’t yet been made public, but Amway is claiming them to be “frivolous” and a “misleading representation” of the business.

Frivolous or not,

The Andhra Pradesh CID, under IPS officer V.C.Sajjanar had filed a chargesheet against Amway in 2006. They went to Andhra Pradesh High Court but a division bench ruled that the business model is illegal. The company then filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court in 2007 but the top court upheld the decision of the High Court. The state government also issued a government order (GO) in 2008, saying advertising products of Amway is illegal.

I could sort of understand Amway labeling a case regarding advertising as frivolous, but then how that falls under the PCMC Act escapes me.

Meanwhile you’d certainly hope that Amway are paying Pinckney well…

In case, he has an extended stay in jail, Mr Pinckney will be shifted to Kadapa Central jail. But with cases pending against him in Khammam, Warangal and Hyderabad, it’s more likely that he will be on the move on transit remand, as each of these district police is likely to seek his custody.

Sounds like half of India wants a piece of that ass!

Pinckney’s been remanded to judicial custody till June 10th, at which point they’ll decide where to send him next.