DSI to assist probe into sex scandal rocking the country's monastic order
The move was announced by acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, on Monday, as he pledged to take firm action against monks who are found to have acted in ways which could negatively impact the public's confidence in the Buddhist clergy.
He said the decision to involve the DSI in the investigation was taken due to the case's potential impact on religious sentiments.
The scandal came to light after authorities raided the home of a woman known as Sika Golf ("Ms Golf") as part of an investigation into the misappropriation of temple funds. Instead, they found a cache of images and video clips showing several senior monks engaging in sexual activities with the woman in question.
Mr Phumtham said he has asked the DSI chief to support the CIB's investigation into the case. He said the agencies must work together to get to the bottom of the case as soon as possible, in a bid to limit the reputational damage to the Buddhist clergy.
"This doesn't mean that the case will be transferred to the DSI. Instead, the DSI will assist with intelligence support, while the CIB leads the investigation," he said.
Separately, the Cyber Crime Investigation Division 1 said it is looking into Ms Golf's links to online gambling operations. According to its commander, Pol Maj Gen Siriwat Deepor, early evidence suggests she gambled heavily, betting as much as 500,000 baht in one turn.
Police are waiting for her financial statements to see if she had any direct transactions on gambling websites. If confirmed, she will be charged under Thailand's anti-gambling laws, he said.
While Ms Golf is known to have romantic relationships with several senior monks, no clear financial links between the monks and gambling platforms have been found so far.
However, the investigation is ongoing, he said.
In a related development, Senator Parinya Wongcherdkwan warned about a crisis of faith in Monday's Senate meeting.
He said that Thailand "needs 100 more women like Ms Golf" to expose corrupt monks and cleanse the religion.
Suchart Tanchareon, the minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office and a member of the Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand, rejected the idea of encouraging scandals to fix the system.
He stressed that misconduct stems from individuals, not Buddhism itself. He acknowledged the National Office of Buddhism has been passive and urged it to take a proactive approach, such as working with local communities to detect early signs of clerical abuse.
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