PATHUM THANI -- Phra Withespawanajarn, the acting abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, reported to Khlong Luang police on Monday morning, responding to a summons to hear 13 charges filed against him, including providing shelter for Phra Dhammajayo, the former abbot.
Phra Dhammajayo is a criminal suspect wanted on charges of money-laundering and receiving stolen property in connection with the multi-billion-baht Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement, and alleged forest encroachment by the temple’s meditation facilities in the provinces of Nakhon Ratchasima and Loei.
The Dhammakaya acting abbot reported to Khlong Luang police about 10.10am. He was accompanied by Pisitchai Sawangwatanakorn, a special investigator of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), and some Dhammakaya disciples, .
Mr Pisitchai said he accompanied Phra Withespawanajarn as a legal coordinator. If police investigators refused to allow bail for the monk, Phra Withespawanajarn would be accompanied to the Thanyaburi Provincial Court where a bail request would be filed.
If the bail request was again rejected by the court, the monk would be disrobed to allow for further legal proceedings, he said.
Mr Pisitchai did not give details of the 13 cases.