The Department of Special Investigation is probing the investigators who handled the early stages of the 12-billion-baht Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement case to determine why they dropped charges against two alleged accomplices.
An inquiry panel will focus on issues concerning the initial investigation, including delays and the ultimate decision to drop charges against Jiradech Wongpiankul and Watchanon Nawa-isararak, who allegedly received money transferred from Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, the co-op's former board chairman and a key suspect in the scandal, a DSI source said Thursday.
The initial investigation team was replaced several weeks ago after complaints that the probe into the embezzlement was moving at a snail's pace. After the team decided to drop the case against Mr Jiradech and Mr Watchanon, public prosecutors sent their report back to the DSI and demanded further inquiries.
Meanwhile, deputy permanent secretary for justice Dusadee Arayawuth said DSI investigators had found title deeds and other evidence linked to the cooperative embezzlement scandal in a safe seized from S W Holding Group, a company with possible links to the Klongchan scandal. The safe was jointly opened by the DSI and the Anti-Money Laundering Office.
Pol Col Dusadee, who is responsible for special-crime suppression, has reportedly asked Pol Lt Col Pakorn Sucheewakul, head of a DSI team investigating financial links between the Klongchan cooperative and Wat Phra Dhammakaya, to extend the investigation. He has sought particular information dealing with the transfer of title deeds from Mr Supachai to other people, a DSI source said on Thursday.
Pol Lt Col Pakorn's team has also been asked to investigate links between the Mongkhol Setthi Credit Union Cooperative — which is located in the compound of Wat Phra Dhammakaya — the temple itself and the Klongchan cooperative.
Initial information suggests there are clear financial links between them, the source said.
The source, who declined to be named, said Mr Supachai was chairman of the two cooperatives. The Klongchan cooperative was opened to mobilise savings by offering higher returns than other financial institutes. The cooperative invested money in the Mongkhol Setthi cooperative, which granted low-interest loans to followers of Wat Phra Dhammakaya who wanted funds to make merit at the temple.
Checks on the Mongkhol Setthi cooperative's financial accounts show it had granted some 230 million baht to almost 500 borrowers for merit-making purposes, the source said.
Other information revealed Mr Supachai allegedly had written cheques worth 46.5 million baht on three occasions to the Mongkhol Setthi cooperative between 2009 and 2012. On top of that, the former chairman of the cooperative allegedly also transferred money to several monks at the temple.
Those monks included the temple's abbot, Phra Dhammachayo (225 million baht); Phra Virat (100 million baht); Phra Palad Vijarn (119 million baht); Phra Montri (100 million baht); and Sathaporn Wattanasirinukul, an executive of S W Holding Group (127 million baht). Mr Sathaporn had been ordained as a monk at Phra Dhammakaya for 20 years, the source said.
It was also believe Mr Supachai was once the temple's caretaker.