Seven Buddhist monks are among nine suspects who are in pre-trial detention after being arrested for allegedly embezzling assets worth $8.9 million from donations received by a temple in northeast Thailand, officials said Thursday.
The Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases said the leaders’ actions in the case “severely harmed Buddhism”.
Five monks and a driver were remanded into custody on Thursday, according to a statement from the court, located in Bangkok. They were arrested at the temple, Wat Pa Thammakhiri, in Nakhon Ratchasima province, on Tuesday, when police carried out a morning raid and discovered property worth around $2.9 million allegedly hidden by the suspects.
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Money, jewelry and amulets were found in many locations, including the monks’ private quarters, police said. Some items were buried underground.
The first arrests in the case came last Friday, when police arrested the temple’s abbot and a famous monk, Kom Kongkaew, accused of stealing more than $5.3 million of temple money.
Bushes cover hills in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand on November 10, 2022. Several monks were arrested at a temple, Wat Pa Thammakhiri, in Nakhon Ratchasima province, on Tuesday for allegedly embezzling donations received by a temple. (Wang Teng/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Kom, his sister and the abbot were denied bail on Monday. The court said that after he was taken into custody, Kom instructed the six suspects arrested this week to hide the valuables that were discovered by police. The court deemed all nine to be flight risks that might tamper with the evidence.
Police said the abbot, Wutthima Thaomor, told them that Kom had advised the monks to use some of the stolen funds to buy jewelry.
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The abbot, along with Kom and his sister, are accused of taking the donation money by withdrawing money from the temple’s bank account and handing it over to be deposited into the sister’s bank account, in which police discovered $3.8 million. . Another $1.5 million in cash was found at her home.
Some Buddhist temples in Thailand are extremely wealthy because their followers donate large sums of money as a way of gaining religious merit.
