Buddhist abbot in Thailand arrested over embezzlement

Thai police yesterday said that they arrested a senior Buddhist monk on suspicion of embezzling US$2.8 million intended for his monastery, alongside a suspected female accomplice he was having sex with.

The case is the latest scandal to hit the clergy in Buddhist-majority Thailand after a sex and extortion case involving senior monks last year prompted public outrage and calls for greater scrutiny of temple finances.

Phra Wachirayan Wi, the 66-year-old abbot of the 14th-century Wat Phutthaisawan in the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, was arrested on Thursday on charges including embezzlement and money laundering, lead police investigator Pattanasak Bupphasuwan said.

Police officers escort Phra Wachirayan Wi, center, a Buddhist monk, outside the Central Investigation Bureau’s Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok yesterday.

Photo: AFP

A 47-year-old woman accused of helping convert and conceal the money was also arrested.

Leaked security camera footage of the pair having sex on a table in the monk’s residence was widely broadcast on Thai media.

In Thailand, Buddhist monks take a vow of celibacy and also renounce material possessions.

Police began investigating Phra Wachirayan in the middle of July after receiving an anonymous tip alleging him of misconduct and misuse of temple funds.

Pattanasak, commander of the police Crime Suppression Division, said investigators identified two streams of money linked to donation receipts issued in the temple’s name.

About 89 million baht (US$2.69 million) was donated for temple renovations, with another 2.8 million baht in payments for Buddhist amulets and other sacred objects, he said.

However, “the money from both streams did not enter the temple’s account — not a single baht,” Pattanasak told a news conference yesterday.

Authorities had seized assets worth about 215 million baht, including 16kg of gold bars and jewelery, and 28 land title deeds, he said.

Police are investigating which were personal property and which belonged to the temple.

“We will expand the investigation to identify other people involved and restore public confidence in Buddhism,” Central Investigation Bureau commissioner Nattasak Chaowanasai said.

Wat Phutthaisawan is a prominent royal monastery with a large following that includes government officials, businesspeople, police and military personnel.