Sex, lies video claims hit monk

A former disciple of a revered Kalasinbased monk yesterday lodged a complaint with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), accusing him of sexual misconduct and the temple of trying to cover it up by framing her.

Somnuda Sammanuch, 34, alleged the abbot of Wat Dong Muang deceived her into having sex with him in 2011.

She said the temple later framed her by accusing her of extortion when she tried to have him defrocked.

She said she wanted to expose him so secretly filmed them having sex during another encounter.

The temple filed the extortion complaint when the monk discovered he had been filmed, Ms Somnuda said, adding she was arrested and police forced her to confess to the extortion charges.

Ms Somnuda insisted she did not distribute images of the sex scene which was stored on a computer seized by police.

She also claimed three other women were also deceived into having sex with the monk but they were threatened into silence.

Ms Somnuda said she had also lodged a complaint with the Office of National Buddhism but the monk was cleared by the Kalasin monastic committee following an internal probe.

She admitted apologising to the monk for the complaint but said she did so while in despair because the issue had affected her and her family.

Pol Maj Worranan Srilum, director of Special Case Management Centre, said the complaint was accepted for an initial probe.

He said the DSI would have to review the complaint thoroughly to see if its officers can proceed.

The scandal came to light last week when other temple disciples came forward to say the sex allegation against the monk was an attempt by Ms Somnuda to discredit him.

They claimed she had demanded 30 million baht prompting the temple to file a complaint.

Prosecutors later indicted Ms Somnuda and the provincial court sentenced her to two years and eight months in jail last September based on her police confession.

She is currently free on bail pending an appeal.

The disciples said they could not discuss the case in detail because the case was ongoing.