Police have arrested five monks and a driver of Wat Pa Dhammakiri in Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima province for their alleged involvement in a 300-million-baht embezzlement scandal. The case involves a former high-profile monk Phra Ajarn Khom, now known as Khom Khongkaeo.
The arrests were made on Tuesday morning by the Crime Suppression Division (CSD). The six men were charged with embezzlement, aiding in the embezzlement and receiving stolen goods. It is believed that they hid cash and valuables worth about 100 million baht in the compound of the forest Buddhist temple.
During questioning, the six suspects admitted to hiding money and valuables in monks' dormitories, tanks and grounds near the temple, but they insisted that they had nothing to do with the embezzlement. The money and valuables, which included gold ornaments and bullions, had been donated to the temple.
According to the suspects, they were ordered to hide the money and valuables before the authorities began their investigation, but they were not aware of Phra Ajarn Khom's intentions.
These recent arrests followed the apprehension of the first three suspects in the embezzlement case: Mr Khom, 39, his young sister Juthathip Phubodiwarochuphan, 35, and Wuthima Thaomor, the 38-year-old former abbot of the temple.
Police believed the alleged embezzlement started in 2020.
Later on Tuesday, CSD commander Pol Maj Gen Montree Thetkhan identified the six new suspects.
Five of them were defrocked monks: Boonsong Panpuwong, 34, Bundit Yoicha, 42, Nathapat Tangjaisanong, 36, Boonluea Phothong, 36, and Thanakrit Yotsurin, 34. The arrested driver was identified as Boonsak Patarakosol, 45.
The newly discovered embezzled assets included 76 million baht in cash, 920 gold ornaments worth 2.8 million baht, 46 gold bars worth 16 million baht and 540 gold plates worth 3.2 million baht, the commander said.
CSD inspector Pol Col Wiwat Jitsophakul said that after Phra Ajarn Khom had been arrested, he requested a phone from police and claimed he needed to call a relative.
In fact the former monk phoned accomplices and told them to hide the valuables, he said.
