Assistant abbot and accomplice apprehended for embezzlement
Anti-Corruption Division police swooped down on Wat Ratchapradit’s assistant abbot and his suspected accomplice in an embezzlement case.
Assistant abbot, 47 year old Phrakru Sutheesutawatwiwat Puangkerd, found himself in handcuffs at Wat Duang Khae in Pathumwan district, while his alleged accomplice, 52 year old Panjit Phanphrom, faced legal consequences at Wat Tha Phra in Bangkok Yai district.
According to police reports, the duo stands accused of siphoning off more than 200 million baht in cash from the temple coffers between 2018 and 2023. Their nefarious plot began to unravel when authorities flagged suspicious cash withdrawals from the temple’s accounts.
Detailing their modus operandi, police disclosed that Phrakru Sutheesutawatwiwat often tampered with cheques intended for the temple’s abbot, altering the amounts before dispatching them to Panjit for withdrawal. While the assistant abbot vehemently denied the accusations, Panjit reportedly confessed to facilitating the cash withdrawals at the behest of his superior, reported The Nation.
Both suspects now face the full brunt of the law, as they are handed over to the Anti-Corruption Division’s investigators for further legal proceedings.
In related news, two senior monks, one aged 70 and another 60, were defrocked following complaints of inappropriate behaviour. Luang Pi Namfon, from the local Buddhist office, led the intervention after reports of the monks not residing at their temples and engaging in activities unbecoming of their monastic vows surfaced. Luang Pi Namfon, accompanied by a deputy, coordinated with the Nakhon Pathom Office of Buddhism to investigate a residence on Kang Buay Street in downtown Nakhon Pathom last Friday, February 16.
In other news, a Mor Lam folk singer took to social media to accuse two gay monks in the Isaan province of Udon Thani of trying to trick him into a threesome. The 34 year old Thai singer shared the story of the two monks on Facebook on January 16. His post was picked up by several news agencies making the story go viral on social media.
