Bangkok: Wat Khrueawan held a press conference to clarify the legal proceedings against the former treasurer for embezzling 56 million baht from temple funds. A 10-year background check revealed 240 instances of forging the abbot's signature. The abbot admitted to being disappointed and regretful for having trusted someone close to him.
According to Thai News Agency, the temple's legal secretary detailed the case of a temple insider who forged the abbot's signature and withdrew money from the temple's account over 240 times since April 2014. The current proceedings are divided into three cases.
The first case emerged in April 2024, when the temple received a donation of a cashier's check for 1.5 million baht from the Royal Thai Navy. The abbot assigned Mr. Krit to cash the check and deposit it into the temple's account. However, Mr. Krit delegated this task to Mr. Chainarong, the assistant treasurer. The abbot's inquiries led to the discovery of over 1,520,000 baht being withdrawn in six transactions without proper explanation.
In addition, officials discovered that Mr. Chainarong had withdrawn over 10 million baht from the temple's account. The case has been forwarded to the prosecutor, with the evidence deemed insufficient to prosecute Mr. Kritsana.
The second case involved Mr. Chainarong's actions around January 2021. He provided Mr. Kritsana with a cashier's check and cash intended for the temple's mortuary building, which were never deposited. Authorities prosecuted Mr. Kritsana for embezzlement, and the case has been submitted to the prosecutor.
The third case involved irregular transactions from 2014 to 2024, with 240 withdrawals using forged signatures. Each withdrawal was limited to a maximum of 300,000 baht per transaction, adhering to bank regulations. Mr. Chainarong altered temple account documents to gain disbursement authority. Both Mr. Krit and Mr. Chainarong have been charged with theft, embezzlement, and use of forged documents.
The suspects are under investigation by authorities, including the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), which has seized assets worth 15-16 million baht, including land, a house, and a condo. The remaining 40 million baht is being traced by AMLO.
Despite the incident, the abbot of Wat Kreuawan Worawihan has assigned a new team of treasurers and expressed a desire to move forward, ensuring fairness and adherence to legal procedures. There is no evidence to prosecute anyone beyond the two suspects currently charged.