'Temple swindler' to be investigated

Apirat: Suspected of embezzling
Apirat: Suspected of embezzling

Police have found luxury assets worth a total of 100 million baht including a Bentley, Porsche and gold-plated amulets registered under the names of suspected embezzler Apirat Jayankura Na Ayudhya, some of his family members and his partner.

Mr Apirat is suspected of embezzling 190 million baht from Wat Bowon Niwet Vihara in Bangkok and its temples upcountry.

According to the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), Mr Apirat, who was a close friend of Somdet Phra Wannarat, the late abbot of Wat Bowon Niwet, repeatedly transferred money from the temple's bank accounts into his own.

The police investigation initially uncovered a wealth of goods including the two luxury cars as well as a Volvo, BMW, Lexus, cash, multiple bank accounts, designer bags and the expensive amulets.

Of the nine luxury cars, only a few were registered under Mr Apirat's name. Documents show the others belonged to Mr Apirat's family members and a male partner.

Police said they will investigate if those people were involved in the temple embezzlement case.

An initial investigation found that about 80 million baht was stolen from a renovation budget for Wat Rattanawararam and another 10 million baht for expanding Wat Khiri Vihara School.

Mr Apirat was arrested on March 23 at his home in Bangkok. Police found the embezzlement occurred while the late abbot was receiving treatment at Chulalongkorn Hospital for cancer from last December.

He died on March 15.

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Vocabulary

  • amulet: a small object that some people wear around their neck as a protection against evil, bad luck, disease etc - เครื่องราง
  • cancer: a serious disease in which growths of cells, also called cancers, form in the body and kill normal body cells. The disease often causes death - มะเร็ง
  • embezzle: to secretly take money that is in your care or that belongs to an organisation or business you work for - ยักยอกเงิน, ฉ้อโกงเงิน
  • investigation: the process of trying to find out all the details or facts about something - การสอบสวน
  • luxury: the best and most expensive of something - ที่หรูหรา 
  • occurred (verb): happened - เกิดขึ้น
  • partner: the person that you are married to or having a relationship with - คู่สมรส, คู่สามีหรือภรรยา
  • renovation: making something old look new again by repairing and improving it, especially a building - การปฏิสังขรณ์, การทำให้มีสภาพดีเหมือนเดิม, การบูรณะ, การซ่อมแซมใหม่
  • swindler: cheater; scammer; a person who lies to other people to get money - คนหลอกลวง
  • transfer: to officially arrange for someone else to receive money or be the owner of something - โอน
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