Aged abbot faces charges for alleged fraudulent appropriation of 300 million baht
The 70-year-old Abbot, Phra Thamma Wachiranuwat, infamous for his alleged misdeeds, walked into the police station in Bangkok on Thursday morning, just as they were about to slap a warrant on his door for embezzling a staggering 300 million baht from Wat Rai Khing, a renowned Buddhist temple.
Able to sense the heat on his heels, the Abbot, who is also the governor of an ecclesiastical region and the head honcho at Wat Rai Khing, decided it was time to fess up and faced the questioning like a boss at 10 a.m. sharp.
Swirling rumors about funds going MIA from the temple had reached the ears of detectives at the Crime Suppression Division, who had plainclothes officers park their butts at the temple for eight months, observing the shenanigans. They found the Abbot playing financial games, manipulating the temple’s bank account transfers to his personal accounts. Where did all those moolah go, you ask? Straight to a woman suspected of representing illicit gambling websites, that’s where.
Detectives' curious eyes uncovered a trail of a whopping 300 million baht transferred from the temple's account to the Abbot's account over the past five years. They also stumbled upon financial transactions worth a cool 500 million baht between the Abbot's account and those of online gambling sites. As the coffers drained, the Abbot hit up his pals, senior monks at other temples, borrowing six- and seven-digit figures.
With the authority biting their nails, waiting to serve an arrest warrant at noon on Thursday, the Abbot decided to hand himself over to the police, probably worried about being labeled a notorious temple thief. The Abbot was charged with malfeasance and embezzlement while serving as a government official, in his role as a regional Buddhist official.
In a cherry on top, Aranyawan Wangthapan, 28, was arrested in connection with the case. This 28-year-old had previously been cuffed last year for her alleged dealings with a shady online gambling platform known as Lagalaxy911, later released on bail.
Established over a century ago, Wat Rai Khing in Samphran district of Nakhon Pathom draws hordes of Thais and foreigners seeking blessings.
Meanwhile, behind the holy facade, the Abbot is accused of turning temple funds into gambling gold, a scandal denting trust in Thailand's religious institutions. Stay tuned for more info on this explosive case unfolding in Thailand.
The Abbot, embroiled in allegations of embezzlement and illicit gambling activities, was found to have transferred a massive 800 million baht from the temple's accounts to online gambling sites and personal accounts over the past five years. This shocking general news, marked by crime and justice, raises concerns about the integrity of casino-and-gambling practices within religious institutions, leading to a significant dent in the public's trust in Thailand's religious institutions. Moreover, Aranyawan Wangthapan, formerly associated with an illegal online gambling platform, has once again become entangled in the casino-games scene.
