Pathum thani: Attorney Ananchai Chaidech has brought to light crucial evidence from the testimony of a well-known Buddhist monk in a German court, implicating the monk in money laundering activities through temple donations.
According to Thai News Agency, Ananchai Chaidech, who serves as the president of the Thaksin Army Lawyers Foundation, received a complaint from a Thai woman living in Germany. The complaint accused a monk from a prominent temple in Pathum Thani province of engaging in activities suggestive of embezzlement and money laundering. Ananchai's investigation revealed documents indicating that the abbot had transferred money to a female lay follower in Germany 27 times, with two additional transfers occurring in Germany. Since 2018, these transactions amounted to 21 million baht. On August 14th, a report was filed with the Anti-Corruption Division, the National Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Anti-Money Laundering Office. As a result, the famous monk and his nine associates were charged with money laundering. The evidence included testimony from a renowned preaching monk, who admitted in court that the money transferred into the lay follower's account originated from temple donations.
The laywoman, a devoted follower of the monk's teachings, had invited him to Germany multiple times to preach and intended to expand Buddhism by establishing a temple branch in Europe. She formed an association in Germany, acting as a branch of the temple. The monk placed his trust in her, hiring her to manage the association and foundation, compensating her with a substantial monthly fee. He transferred millions of baht to her bank account, claiming it was his personal money, and instructed her to move the funds to his account in Germany.
Initially, there were four transfers amounting to over 12 million baht. However, German authorities discovered irregularities suggesting money laundering and subsequently froze the account. As the story unraveled, the laywoman realized she had been manipulated by the monk to handle temple funds. Her decision to stop working for the temple led to the monk filing civil and criminal lawsuits against her in Germany. The total sum involved exceeded 13 million baht, encompassing donations, salaries, various work expenses, and even cat food.
The woman maintained that she had no romantic interest in the monk. Her faith in the teachings of the Tripitaka guided her actions, and she believed there was no animosity between them. She described the situation as an illusion, unlike anything she had previously experienced.
Attorney Ananchai emphasized that the monk's actions utilized a German organization as a hub to launder money embezzled from the temple. This behavior constitutes a crime of embezzlement of property by a public official under Sections 147 and 157 of the Criminal Code and also constitutes money laundering. The monk on trial could face possible defamation charges. Ananchai also urged the police to investigate the financial dealings of a woman whose business operations totaled billions of baht. He mentioned that a social media page had disclosed a close relationship between the woman and the monk, including reports of them shopping for jewelry in India.