Ex-Buddhist chief ‘abused temple grant’
There are grounds to an allegation that Phanom Sornsilp, the former director of the National Office of Buddhism (NOB), and five other people were involved in embezzling temple funds, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) concluded yesterday.
NACC secretary-general Worawit Sukboon said the NACC has found Mr Phanom and five others played a role in irregularities concerning the allocation of a grant-in-aid worth 24 million baht.
The money was allocated from the 2015 fiscal budget and was provided by the NOB for the renovation of five Buddhist temples in Lampang and one temple in Phrae.
The NACC looked into the claim after it received a report from the Counter-Corruption Division (CCD) under the Royal Thai Police’s Central Investigation Bureau. The police arrested Mr Phanom and the other suspects several days ago.
The NACC said Mr Phanom could have violated up to six sections of the Criminal Code.
He also committed severe disciplinary offences under the 2008 Civil Service Act, Mr Worawit said.
Three of the suspects were named as Pranom Kongpikul, then head of the NOB’s Buddhism Monastery Department; Wasawad Kittitheerasit, head of the NOB’s temple renovation and development unit; and Natthawadee Tantayawisarnsut, a former NOB official.
They were found to have violated several provisions of the Criminal Code and breached the 2008 Civil Service Act
The other two suspects are Siwarote Piyaratseree, a former abbot at one of the five temples in Lampang, and a woman named Ubon Ditduang. They were found to have violated various parts of the Criminal Code, Mr Worawit said.
The NACC will forward its findings to public prosecutors as well as to the NOB, which supervises the officials in question and decides on disciplinary action.
Mr Phanom was among nine people arrested on Aug 1 during raids that targeted those allegedly involved in the temple fund embezzlement scandal. He was arrested at his home.
Some of the suspects were charged with violating the Money Laundering Act.