Aids hospice embezzlers sentenced to hundreds of years

Former monk and aide also ordered to return B300 million to Wat Phrabat Namphu

Former abbot Alongkot Phoolmuk and his aide have been sentenced to hundreds of years in prison for embezzling funds donated to the Aids hospice at Wat Phrabat Namphu in Lop Buri, and ordered to return over 300 million baht to the temple.

However, both defendants will actually serve a maximum of 50 years in prison, the maximum allowed under the Criminal Code when an offender is convicted of multiple distinct offences, according to the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases.

The two men were convicted of misappropriating and embezzling donations made to the well-known temple that was founded in 1992, and using the money for their personal benefit. They were also convicted of money laundering.

Alongkot, 66, formerly known as Luang Phor Alongkot, received separate sentences for 185 counts, related to being a public official dishonestly misappropriating property, or dishonestly allowing another person to take the property, as well as money laundering.

The court found Alongkot’s conduct during the trial and his statements were beneficial to the proceedings and therefore reduced his sentences by one-third, from six to four years, and on one count from three to two years. The total sentence was therefore 742 years.

The second defendant, Seksan “Mor Bee” Sapsubbsakul, 44, who served as a fund-raiser, was found guilty of aiding and abetting the ex-monk and money laundering.

With sentences reduced due to his cooperation, Seksan received two years and eight months for 185 counts of abetting Alongkot and eight counts of money laundering, totalling 509 years.

The court also ordered the two defendants to return 306 million baht to Wat Phrabat Namphu.

The two were arrested on Aug 26 last year after suspicions emerged about the former abbot’s true identity and educational background, the spending of donations that the temple had raised over the past three decades, the use of a dead man’s ID to open a bank account to receive donations, and the treatment of HIV/Aids patients at the temple.

Senior monks at temples throughout Thailand are officially considered government officials as they receive a monthly stipend under a centuries-old tradition of royal patronage that continues under public administration today.

Before the misconduct was uncovered, Mor Bee was famed for his claimed ability to communicate with ghosts. His storytelling had earned him a large following on his Facebook page and YouTube channel.