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Bangkok Post
a day ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Police dig deeper into Nakhon Sawan temple funds scandal
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) is intensifying its investigation into the alleged misappropriation of temple funds at Wat Nakhon Sawan and a long-delayed Buddhist park project involving the former abbot. Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, CIB deputy commissioner, on Tuesday provided updates on the high-profile case involving the former abbott, Phra Thamma Wachiratheerakun, now known by the lay name 'Thid Sarit' (former monk Sarit). He was also the ecclesiastical chief of the central plains province of Nakhon Sawan until his abrupt retirement from the monkhood on July 19. Police investigators continued their search for evidence of misdoing on Tuesday, after earlier uncovering multiple irregularities, including the resignation of the acting director of the Nakhon Sawan campus of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (MCU) and the involvement of other people whose roles were under scrutiny, the CIB deputy chief said. He affirmed that legal action would be taken against any people found to be involved in corruption. 'Police are duty-bound to protect the nation, religion and monarchy. We must act to safeguard the integrity of Buddhist institutions,' he said. He declined to confirm whether the resignation of the acting director the MCU's Nakhon Sawan campus was linked to the temple fund irregularities. He did acknowledge that many people were under investigation. The in-depth probe follows the emergence of details of the scandals involving the former abbot. The former Phra Thamma Wachiratheerakun, 67, came under the media spotlight after photos showing him embracing a woman while wearing a wig went viral online. The former senior monk is also accused of secretive affairs with three women. It was reported that the acting director of the MCU's Nakhon Sawan campus, who recently resigned from the campus, had an alleged special relationship with the former abbot, The former abbot is under investigation over suspected financial irregularities in the Nakhon Sawan Buddhist Park project, which has been underway for 15-20 years and is still not complete despite receiving hundreds of millions of baht in donations. Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat said the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) and the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) were all now working on the case, trace the flow of funds. All parties involved would be held to account, he reiterated. According to the CIB deputy chief, the former abbot had borrowed large sums from monks at temples in Bangkok. The transactions were now under investigation. Investigators were also examining temple bank accounts, which currently showed only a few million baht remaining. This raised questions about the disappearance of substantial donations. All contractors involved in the Buddhist Park project would be summoned for questioning, Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat said. Once the evidence was compiled, legal proceedings would follow, including the issuance of summonses and arrest warrants, he added. There were reports that Wat Nakhon Sawan may have received donations totaling several hundred million baht for the Buddhist Park project. One major donor, a now deceased businessman, reportedly contributed 50 million baht to the temple.
Bangkok Post
4 days ago
- Bangkok Post
Senior monk linked to new scandal not from Bangkok, say police
A prominent monk implicated in an alleged embezzlement case involving temple funds and affairs with a woman is based outside of Bangkok, a senior police officer said on Saturday. The case is also separate from the 'Sika Golf' sex scandal that has rocked the Buddhist clergy, said Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB). Recent reports circulating in the media had misinterpreted information supplied to police investigators about the new embezzlement investigation. Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat stressed that the details received from a newly established centre handling complaints about monks' misconduct involved a prominent provincial monk and had no connection to any monks based in Bangkok. 'We are aware of reports circulating in the media, but police have not yet taken any action (against the accused monk),' said the senior officer known as 'Big Tao'. He also dismissed as inaccurate speculation that the senior monk in question may hold the rank of Somdet, the highest ecclesiastical title. He said the monk held a high-ranking title but it remained unclear whether the rank was Phra Thep, Phra Phrom or Phra Somdet. Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat insisted that the monk under scrutiny was not the one with the rank of Somdet who was widely discussed on social media. The suspect has been the subject of long-standing complaints involving the misuse of temple donations, said the CIB chief. Several hundred million baht, raised from people over many years, were intended for the construction of a major religious site. However, the project remains unfinished after more than a decade. 'There are clear signs of misconduct. Some of the money was allegedly diverted for personal purposes, including supporting a woman,' he said. 'At this stage, we are not disclosing whose account the funds were transferred to.' Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat said that while police do not have the authority to defrock a monk, they will present the evidence to the relevant religious authorities for consideration. 'If a monk lacks proper conduct, he should not be revered,' he added. Asked whether an arrest warrant or search warrant will be issued, he said there is sufficient evidence to proceed but added that authorities would follow due process and not act hastily. Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat emphasised that both police and other agencies responsible were working to root out improper behaviour within the monastic community to preserve public trust. He called on the media to refrain from sensationalism and stick to verified facts. The scandal involving Sika Golf and senior monks has gripped Thailand in recent weeks. Sika Golf, whose real name is Wilawan Emsawat, was accused of developing intimate relationships with high-ranking monks and using them for financial gain, sparking a wide-ranging police investigation and multiple arrests. Ms Wilawan, 35, was arrested in at her home in Nonthaburi province last Tuesday and has already been charged with enabling a monk's embezzlement of temple funds, laundering money and receiving stolen goods. She is being detained at the Central Investigation Bureau in Bangkok. Police searched her house and found a number of mobile phones storing about 80,000 sex photos and videos involving senior monks at many famous temples. So far, 13 monks linked to the case have been disrobed. All will be questioned, including the latest, Phra Maha Yodpet, the former abbot of Wat Tha Bua Thong in Phichit province.
Bangkok Post
4 days ago
- Bangkok Post
'Big Tao' cracking down on misbehaving monks
The deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, has been seen at temple halls across several provinces in the past couple of days. He wasn't there to make merit, however. He was waiting for senior monks accused of misconduct to emerge from the temples' ordination halls, so he could bring them in for interrogation after they were disrobed. Indeed, the officer known by his nickname "Big Tao" has been in the spotlight in recent days, as he was tapped to lead the investigation into embezzlement and misconduct in the nation's monastic order. The scandal came to light after authorities raided Wilawan "Sika Golf" Emsawat's home as part of an investigation into alleged misuse of temple funds. Instead, they found a trove of inappropriate video clips and photographs featuring a number of senior monks from various temples across the country. She was charged and taken into custody on Tuesday. As of yesterday, at least 11 monks have been disrobed, and more are currently under investigation. The case put the government under intense pressure to clean up the monastic order. In response, the CIB announced the establishment of the "Centre for the Promotion and Preservation of Buddhist Discipline and Ethics" on July 14, to which the public could directly submit complaints concerning monks. Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat, 56, was inspired at a young age to work in law enforcement by his father, who served as an officer at the Department of Corrections. Since graduating from the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School, Class 29 (AFAPS 29), and the Royal Police Cadet Academy, Class 45, Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat has participated in many high-profile investigations involving members of the nation's Buddhist community. Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat led the investigation into an embezzlement case involving Wat Rai Khing in Nakhon Pathom, which resulted in the seizure of two billion baht hidden across 84 bank accounts. More recently, he oversaw the investigation into the embezzlement of temple funds by Yaem Inkrungkao, who was found to have transferred millions of baht to a woman who worked as an online gambling broker. Big Tao's history of cracking down on misbehaving monks began in 2017, when the CIB launched a nationwide crackdown on rogue monks who indulged in sex crimes, fraud and politics. At the time, he was working under the Crime Suppression Division 4, which is in charge of the northern region. Under his supervision, about half a dozen monks were defrocked. "If they violated monastic principles but didn't break any law, they will be asked to leave monkhood. "Some of those who were arrested and defrocked posted obscene photos on social media and engaged in sexual acts," he said in 2017.
1News
6 days ago
- 1News
Thai police charge woman with seducing and blackmailing Buddhist monks
Police in Thailand arrested a woman today who allegedly enticed a string of Buddhist monks into sexual relationships and then pressured them into making large payments to cover up their intimacy. The possible violation of the celibacy rule for monks has rocked Buddhist institutions and gripped public attention in Thailand in recent weeks. At least nine abbots and senior monks involved in the scandal have been disrobed and cast out of the monkhood, the Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau said. Wilawan Emsawat, in her mid-30s, was arrested at her home in Nonthaburi province north of the capital Bangkok on charges including extortion, money laundering and receiving stolen goods. Police said they traced money transferred to her by a senior monk from a bank account belonging to his temple in northern Thailand. Wilawan has not made a statement since her arrest and it was unclear if she has legal representation. Speaking to local media before her arrest, she acknowledged one relationship and said she had given money to that monk. Scandals involving monks surfaced a few times a year in Thailand but usually didn't involve senior members of the clergy. The case also put a spotlight on the large sums of money donated to temples controlled by abbots, which was in marked contrast to the abstemious lives they were supposed to lead under their religion's precepts. ADVERTISEMENT Wilawan deliberately targeted senior monks for financial gain, police said, noting they found several monks had transferred large amounts of money after Wilawan initiated romantic relationships with them. Wilawan's bank accounts received around 385 million baht (NZ$19.85 million) in the past three years, but most of the funds were spent on gambling websites, police said. Buddhist monks (file image). (Source: Jaroonkiat Pankaew, a Central Investigation Bureau deputy commissioner, said the investigation began last month after an abbot of a famous temple in Bangkok abruptly left the monkhood. Investigators found the abbot had allegedly been blackmailed by Wilawan over their romantic relationship. She told the monk she was pregnant and asked him to pay 7.2 million baht (NZ$370,000) in financial assistance, Jaroonkiat said at a news conference in Bangkok today. Police believed "this woman is dangerous and we needed to arrest her as soon as possible', Jaroonkiat said. Thai media reported a search of her mobile phones revealed tens of thousands of photos and videos, as well as numerous chat logs indicating intimacy with several monks, many of which could be used for blackmail. ADVERTISEMENT Thai monks were largely members of the Theravada sect, which required them to be celibate and refrain from even touching a woman. Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai ordered authorities to review and consider tightening existing laws related to monks and temples, especially the transparency of temple finances, to restore faith in Buddhism, government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub said today. The Central Investigation Bureau has set up a Facebook page for people to report monks who misbehave, Jaroonkiat said. 'We will investigate monks across the country,' he said. 'I believe that the ripple effects of this investigation will lead to a lot of changes.'
Saudi Gazette
7 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
Thai police arrest woman who allegedly seduced and blackmailed Buddhist monks
BANGKOK — Police in Thailand arrested a woman Tuesday who allegedly enticed a string of Buddhist monks into sexual relationships and then pressured them into making large payments to cover up their intimacy. The possible violation of the celibacy rule for monks has rocked Buddhist institutions and gripped public attention in Thailand in recent weeks. At least nine abbots and senior monks involved in the scandal have been disrobed and cast out of the monkhood, the Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau said. Wilawan Emsawat, in her mid-30s, was arrested at her home in Nonthaburi province north of the capital Bangkok on charges including extortion, money laundering and receiving stolen goods. Police said they traced money transferred to her by a senior monk from a bank account belonging to his temple in northern Thailand. Wilawan has not made a statement since her arrest and it was unclear if she has legal representation. Speaking to local media before her arrest, she acknowledged one relationship and said she had given money to that monk. Scandals involving monks surface a few times a year in Thailand but usually don't involve senior members of the clergy. The case also puts a spotlight on the large sums of money donated to temples controlled by abbots, which is in marked contrast to the abstemious lives they are supposed to lead under their religion's deliberately targeted senior monks for financial gain, police said, noting they found several monks had transferred large amounts of money after Wilawan initiated romantic relationships with bank accounts received around 385 million baht ($11.9 million) in the past three years, but most of the funds were spent on online gambling websites, police Pankaew, a Central Investigation Bureau deputy commissioner, said the investigation began last month after an abbot of a famous temple in Bangkok abruptly left the found the abbot had allegedly been blackmailed by Wilawan over their romantic relationship. She told the monk that she was pregnant and asked him to pay 7.2 million baht ($222,000) in financial assistance, Jaroonkiat said at a news conference in Bangkok believed 'this woman is dangerous and we needed to arrest her as soon as possible,' Jaroonkiat media reported a search of her mobile phones revealed tens of thousands of photos and videos, as well as numerous chat logs indicating intimacy with several monks, many of which could be used for monks are largely members of the Theravada sect, which requires them to be celibate and refrain from even touching a Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai ordered authorities to review and consider tightening existing laws related to monks and temples, especially the transparency of temple finances, to restore faith in Buddhism, government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub said Central Investigation Bureau has set up a Facebook page for people to report monks who misbehave, Jaroonkiat said.'We will investigate monks across the country,' he said. 'I believe that the ripple effects of this investigation will lead to a lot of changes.'This scandal is the latest to rock Thailand's much revered Buddhist institution, which in recent years has been plagued with allegations of monks engaging in sex offences and drug week, Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn revoked a royal command he had issued in June conferring higher titles to 81 monks. He cited the recent cases of misconduct, which he said have "caused Buddhists to suffer greatly in their minds".In Thailand, where more than 90% of the population identify as Buddhist, monks are highly revered. Many Thai men also choose to temporarily ordain as monks to accumulate good the Buddhist institution has been plagued by scandals in the recent Sukphol, a jet-setting monk known for his lavish lifestyle, made international headlines in 2017 when he was charged with sex offenses, fraud and money laundering. And in 2022, a temple in the northern province of Phetchabun was left without any monks after all four of its monks were arrested in a drug raid and were years of criticism about disciplinary and accountability issues within the Thai Sangha, many say there has been little real change in the centuries-old institution. A big part of the problem lies with its strict hierarchy, say experts."It is an authoritarian system similar to the Thai bureaucracy where senior monks are like high-ranking officials and junior monks are their subordinates," religious scholar Suraphot Thaweesak told BBC Thai. "When they see something inappropriate, they do not dare to speak up because it is very easy to be kicked out of the temple."But some see ongoing investigations, both by the police and the Sangha council, as a key step to push ahead with much-needed reform."The important thing is to reveal the truth so that the public can ease their doubts about the innocence of the Sangha," said Prakirati Satasut, a sociology scholar at Bangkok's Thammasat University."It depends on whether the Supreme Sangha Council will cut off some arms and legs to save the organization." — Agencies
