The Anti-Money Laundering Office's (Amlo) probe into Wat Phra Dhammakaya's former abbot and some senior monks will focus only on allegations of money laundering, the office's chief said Thursday.
Secretary-general Pol Col Sihanart Prayoonrat's clarification came amid accusations the same monks are involved in the 12-billion-baht Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement scandal.
On Monday, Amlo examined property on the Dhammakaya temple's premises for suspected links to the Klongchan scandal. It is also seeking to freeze the assets of those who allegedly received money embezzled by the cooperative.
Pol Col Sihanart said the decision was made after a meeting on Feb 23 with the National Reform Council committee on religious affairs, led by Paiboon Nititawan.
The committee recommended Amlo pursue civil lawsuits against and freeze the assets of those suspected of receiving the embezzled money, he said.
"Amlo will determine whether the suspects accepted money they knew had been obtained illegally," Pol Col Sihanart said Thursday.
"If they insist they are innocent and have solid proof to back the claim, they will avoid money laundering charges," he said.
Earlier last month, Amlo froze assets valued at 1.2 billion baht belonging to former board chairman Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, the key suspect in the Klongchan scandal. Close to 4 billion baht of assets owned by Mr Supachai and his associates have already been frozen by the Amlo.
Amlo investigators discovered Mr Supachai had shares in several companies through nominees. He was found to have held 11 million shares via Sathaporn Watthanasirinukul in S W Holding Group (Thailand) Co, valued at about 1.1 billion baht.
Mr Sathaporn testified before Amlo regarding his alleged involvement in the scandal and his connection with Wat Phra Dhammakaya, said Pol Col Sihanart, declining to provide details of the suspect's statement.
The Amlo's transaction investigation committee will next meet on March 17 to deliberate Mr Sathaporn's statements and decide whether they will return the seized assets, said the Amlo chief.
Pol Col Sihanart also declined to comment on the progress of Amlo's probe into the Mongkol Setthi Credit Union Cooperative at Wat Phra Dhammakaya which is also accused of being a money-laundering mechanism in the Klongchan scandal.
Meanwhile, Pol Col Paisit Wongmuang, deputy chief of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), head of the team probing the Klongchan scandal, said Thursday the DSI had begun sending summonses to Phra Dhammachayo and other monks at the temple who were found to have received money from the Klongchan suspects.
The prosecutors want DSI investigators to expand their probe to look into 878 cheques worth 11.3 billion baht that were paid by the cooperative under Mr Supachai's name. According to the DSI, Mr Supachai also withdrew about 1.9 billion baht in cash from the cooperative.
Of the cheques, 15 worth over 800 million baht were paid to Wat Phra Dhammakaya and its abbot.
