OAG to look into abbot’s funeral costs
The Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) will continue to look into spending irregularities in the budget of more than 60 million baht for the funeral rites of Somdej Phra Buddhacharn, also known as Somdej Kiew.
Auditor-General Pisit Leelawachiropas said the investigation into alleged irregularities against Phra Phromsuthi, the suspended abbot of Wat Sa Ket, will proceed even though the monk was sacked from the Supreme Sangha Council (SSC).
The Yingluck Shinawatra cabinet on Jan 21 last year approved a budget of 67 million baht for the rites of Somdej Phra Buddhacharn, the former abbot of Wat Sa Ket, who passed away on Aug 10, 2013.
Phra Phromsuthi, the new abbot, was solely authorised to disburse the funds, and is now accused of embezzling the money.
According to Mr Pisit, Phra Phromsuthi has explained that the budget is divided into three chunks: 11 million baht for the altar procurement; 15 million baht for distribution of tripidaka; and 41 million baht for organising the funeral rites which cannot be verified.
Mr Pisit said the monk has to return the first two chunks of money to the state. A sum of 11 million was donated for the altar while the 15-million-baht tripidaka portion was deemed irrelevant to the rite.
However, he said the OAG will back off if the monk agrees to return all the money to the state. He noted the temple has received more than 60 million baht in public donations to fund the rites and the money should be spent as the donors wish.
“The temple must prove that spending 41 million baht is justified, but it would be best for all of us if the temple returns all the money.
A highly-placed source in monastic circles said Phra Phromsuthi is expected to leave the monkhood soon because he cannot justify the spending of state funds.
Phanom Sornsilpa, director of the National Office of Buddhism, said the SSC has set up two panels to investigate Phra Phromsuthi over spending irregularities. Mr Phanom said Phra Phromsuthi’s dismissal from the SSC is the first of its kind.