Monk arrested for allegedly embezzlement of $ 9 million in Thailand

Thai police arrested a Buddhist monk for accusations that he embezzled more than $ 9 million of the prominent temple he directed, which was funded by devotees donations.

Researchers at the Central Research Office (CIB) accuse Abad Phra Thammachiranuwat at Wat Rai Khing to divert more than 300 million Baht ($ 9.05 million) of the temple bank account in his.

The researchers drawn backgrounds from the temple on the western outskirts of Bangkok to an illegal online gambling network that executes Baccarat card games, local media said.

The temples in the Buddhist Thailand depend largely on the income of the “merit” ceremonies where the faithful make donations with the hope of obtaining good fortune and a better reincarnation.

Police accused Phra Thammachiranuwat of corruption and embezzlement, said the attached commissioner of Cib Jaroonkiat Pankaew at a press conference on Thursday.

“This (arrest) is to help purify our religion,” said Jaroonkiat.

The authorities have arrested a second suspect and are investigating whether others were involved, while local media reported that the abbot has now left the Monkhood.

Wat Rai Khing, which is believed to be founded in 1851, houses a replica of the Buddha’s footprint.

The arrest of one of the most prominent temples of the Bangkok suburb has caused a significant reaction in social networks.

“Next time I will donate to a hospital or school for good causes, not a temple,” a user published on social networks.

Others warned their companions Buddhists to remain firm in their faith.

“Not all monks are bad. Do not generalize,” another user of social networks wrote.

Buddhist temples in Thailand have reached the headlines for unusual reasons before. Last November, the Thai police launched an investigation of a Buddhist monastery after the authorities discovered 41 bodies on the site that were supposedly used for meditation practices.

In 2022, each monk in a Buddhist temple in downtown Thailand was paraded after them Tested positive For methamphetamine. The monks were sent to a health clinic to undergo drug rehabilitation.

In:
• Thailand
• Buddhism
• Embezzlement