Hauke Windmuller, CEO of Familonet
The CEO behind the child-monitoring app Familonet has contacted Coconuts HK to stress that the company has distanced itself from alleged serial surrogate daddy Mitsutoki Shigeta. Hauke Windmuller wrote to Coconuts yesterday after we reported the breaking news.
Shigeta has apparently admitted being the father of nine surrogate babies discovered in a Bangkok apartment last week, as well as a further three babies in Japan. Thai authorities are seeking to question the Japanese national, who has allegedly fled from his Hong Kong home to Macau, in relation to human trafficking charges.
“Shigeta was not involved in the initiation of Familonet. He also did not help to create the smartphone application,” wrote Windmuller, adding that Shigeta was only a minority shareholder in the company, a position from which he has now been suspended as a precaution while investigations continue.
“Without prejudging Mitsutoki Shigeta, Familonet distances itself from any private or business activities that media reports associate with him,” continued Windmuller.
Shigeta hit headlines in Hong Kong following the shocking story of an Australian couple accused of abandoning a surrogate-born baby with Down’s syndrome in Thailand while returning home with the healthy twin. David and Wendy Farnell, the former of whom is a convicted child sex offender, have denied the allegations and say they planned to return to Thailand for the boy.
Shigeta has denied any involvement in human trafficking or plans to sell his offspring. Investigations continue.
Photo: Familonet Facebook page
