Dragnet likely to snare more monks
Temple fund scandal probe to be widened
The National Office of Buddhism (NOB) is likely to file more complaints early next month against senior monks and laymen at popular temples embroiled in a temple fund embezzlement scandal, according to a source at the office.
The temples will be targeted under the fourth round of a widening investigation into the scandal.
The source declined to disclose the names of the temples, monks or laymen.
Authorities are also waiting for a response from Germany on whether it will grant asylum status to fugitive ex-Sangha Supreme Council member Phra Phrom Methee, the former assistant abbot of Wat Samphanthawong, a classic royal temple in Bangkok’s Chinatown area.
He is one of seven former monks charged with embezzlement and money laundering during the third round of the investigation.
Meanwhile, police sources revealed that more than 54 million baht went missing from Buddhism promotion programmes undertaken by Wat Sa Ket, also known as the Temple of the Golden Mount, between 2015 and 2016.
This was among three temples in Bangkok raided by 200 police commandos from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) on May 24 for their alleged involvement in embezzling funds meant for Buddhist activities. The other two are Wat Sam Phraya and Wat Samphanthawong.
One source said progress has been made in the Wat Sam Phraya and Wat Samphanthawong cases but at least 20 more witnesses must still be questioned in relation to Wat Sa Ket, where officers are zeroing in on two projects worth 62.5 million baht in total.
The temple was found to have written to the NOB to seek financial support for the projects between 2015 and 2016. It claimed the money would be given to 13 temples associated with Wat Sa Ket, most of which are in the Northeast.
The probe however found that only three temples in Ratchaburi, Ubon Ratchathani and Chiang Mai, as well as an educational facility for monks in Khon Kaen, were funded by Wat Sa Ket.
Each received 2 million baht, amounting to 8 million baht in total.
Another nine temples, based on the probe, did not receive financial support from Wat Sa Ket as promised, the source said, noting an investigation is under way to determine where the money went.
The probe is expected to wrap up early next month, the source added.
Another source at the CSD, meanwhile, denied rumours that police are preparing to raid Wat Thep Sirintharawat in Pomprap Sattruphai district.
No police officers have been arranged for the task and no cooperation has been sought from the NOB about such a mission, the source said, adding the police Counter-Corruption Division (CCD) and the NOB have both confirmed no searches have been carried out there.
Wat Thep Sirintharawat is not considered a target of any police probe and the NOB has not filed a complaint against it, the source said. He said the rumours were likely spread by disgruntled disciples at Wat Sa Ket who may be trying to cause a social disturbance following the arrests of its abbot, Phra Phrom Sitthi, and other senior monks from the temple.
If those followers are found to have breached the law they will be prosecuted, the source noted.
Meanwhile, a senior interrogator at the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has been transferred for posting on Facebook that more abbots will be arrested.
Pisitchai Sawangwatanakorn, from the DSI’s taxation crime bureau, was moved to the office of special case experts yesterday, DSI deputy spokesman Pol Maj Woranan Srilam said, citing an order given by DSI director-general Paisith Wongmuang.
Mr Pisitchai claimed four more temples in Bangkok would be subject to raids.
Although the messages were intended for personal consumption, Mr Pisitchai was a high-level official and it was therefore inappropriate for him to make such remarks about cases that he was unaffiliated with as they could negatively impact the DSI, Pol Maj Woranan said.
The taxation crime bureau has been ordered to find out if Mr Pisitchai violated any criminal or computer crime laws, as well as if he had any special relationship with the mentioned abbots, the deputy spokesman said.
The DSI chief will consider the issue of punishment after the bureau has finished its investigation, he said.
Another police source said Mr Pisitchai has cooperated with the investigation. The suspect confessed to posting the messages of his own volition, the source noted.
An inspection of Mr Pisitchai’s phone found that he used it to post information about the third round of the crackdowns on temples suspected of being involved in the scandal, the source said.
The DSI is likely to file a complaint against Mr Pisitchai with the CSD for violating the Computer-Related Crime Act, the source added.
Meanwhile, the Sangha Supreme Council noted the appointment yesterday of 12th ecclesiastical regional governor Phra Thep Ratanamunee as the acting abbot of Wat Sa Ket.
NOB deputy chief Narong Songarom also clarified the office’s order on Friday seeking information from temples that pool money in their bank accounts instead of letting monks control it. He said it was designed to find role models for others to follow.
The NOB wants to find examples of good monastic discipline in terms of their financial practices, he said.