Bangkok: The Deputy Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has accepted a complaint filed through the Center for the Investigation of Monks, uncovering an ongoing investigation into the buying and selling of positions. At Wat Muang, the abbot has been found to have complete control over financial operations. The abbot, along with the secretary and treasurer, is being summoned to provide testimony.
According to Thai News Agency, Pol. Maj. Gen. Charoonkiat Pankaew, the deputy commissioner of the CIB, has reported progress in the investigation at Wat Muang, which is being handled in two separate areas. The Phetkasem Police Station is tasked with probing perjury allegations involving both monks and laypeople, while local police are managing further actions. Concurrently, the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) is delving into the temple's financial accounts, which reveal that the abbot has centralized all financial authority. Annual expenditures are compiled by a monk secretary, who is currently being contacted by police to facilitate the investigation into potential corruption.
The investigation has so far examined eight out of nine temple accounts, with one remaining to be inspected. Additionally, two accounts belonging to the abbot have been identified. The temple employs two treasurers; one has already been interrogated, while the other claims to be consistently in another province.
Since the establishment of the Center for the Prevention and Suppression of Threats to Buddhism and the Enhancement of Buddhist Security, over 200 complaints have been lodged. The CIB has taken on 30 of these cases, forwarding the remaining 100 to Provincial Police Regions 1-9 and the Metropolitan Police Bureau. Most complaints pertain to financial misappropriation, involvement with women, or suspicious conversations found on individuals' phones. While some cases possess actionable evidence, others remain under investigation due to insufficient proof. The Bureau has assured that decisive action will be taken where evidence is clear.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Charoonkiat acknowledged the existence of complaints regarding the buying and selling of positions through the Center. Concerning allegations about a luxury car purchase for him, he stated that no information is currently available.
Investigations into position trading have uncovered suspicious financial transactions, with hundreds of thousands of baht transferred between temples, often under the guise of donations or merit-making funds. This raises concerns, especially in the case of Tid Yaem, where substantial temple funds negate the need for external requests. Transactions ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 baht in Tid Yaem's accounts necessitate examination to ascertain the legitimacy of promotions within the religious hierarchy.