Probe into NOB shifts to Chumphon

>> Authorities yesterday investigated four temples in Chumphon in their hunt for the culprits of the embezzlement of 60 million baht from maintenance funds.

One temple is located in Lang Suan district while the three others are in Sawi district.

The latest investigation is part of a mission of the police Counter Corruption Division (CCD) to widen their probe into other temples nationwide after the first group of 12 temples was initially suspected of having embezzled maintenance funds worth 60 million baht dispensed by the National Office of Buddhism (NOB).

The NOB allocates between 400 million and 500 million baht for maintenance of temples nationwide annually.

Pol Col Warayuth Suwat, deputy superintendent of the police CCD said yesterday after meeting with abbots of the four temples that fresh information obtained found that the NOB had allocated maintenance funds to 26 temples in Chumphon but four of them were found to have been involved in the embezzlement.

Pol Col Warayuth said the embezzlement had taken place years ago but monks at those temples denied being involved in it.

He said the investigation found that some NOB officers had direct contact with monks at the temples and transferred the money from the maintenance funds to their bank accounts.

After money was transferred, the monks returned the money to the embezzlement gang.

Nimit Suwannarat, director of Special Audit Office Region 15 of the Office of Auditor General, said the OAG had been probing budget spending of the NOB for years and found a group of NOB officials were involved in budget misspending.