Phra Dhammachayo to report to DSI Mar 26

Phra Dhammachayo to report to DSI Mar 26

Phra Dhammachayo, abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, now  scheduled to appear before DSI investigators to answer questions on March 26. (Wat Phra Dhammakaya photo)
Phra Dhammachayo, abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, now scheduled to appear before DSI investigators to answer questions on March 26. (Wat Phra Dhammakaya photo)

Phra Dhammachayo, the abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, on Tuesday sent a lawyer to meet the Department of Special Investigation to request the postponement of his meeting with the agency from today until March 26, citing poor health.

The controversial monk was earlier scheduled to meet the DSI today to answer allegations he received money from the 12-billion-baht Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement scandal.

Pol Lt Col Pakorn Suchivakul, head of a DSI team investigating the scandal and links to Wat Phra Dhammakaya, said the lawyer, Samphan Sermcheep, had formally submitted a request for the postponement.

The DSI investigators had approved the request.  Since the donation cheques drawn on Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative and issued by former cooperative chairman Supachai Srisupa-aksorn were paid to Wat Dhammakaya in the name of Phra Dhammachayo only, it was necessary for the abbot to testify in person to the DSI, Pol Lt Col Pakorn said.

Mr Samphan said Phra Dhammachayo had health problems. He suffered from many illnesses including diabetes and high blood pressure.

He said he was gathering related documents and evidence to be submitted to both the DSI and the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo), which are examining the money trail.

"While the DSI and Amlo said Mr Supachai donated about 900 million baht, the temple found only 13 cheques for a total of 684 million baht.  The donated money has been used for the construction of religious buildings in Khlong Luang district of Pathum Thani province.  The buildings cost more than one billion baht each and they are monastic property," Mr Samphan said.

The lawyer said after the Klongchan embezzlement scandal broke, Phra Dhammachayo had said he never saw the cheques or the money, because all cheques and money donated to the temple were in envelopes which were placed in a pouch.

He said Phra Dhammachayo never saw even one of the cheques, because the use of donations was an administrative matter at the temple.

Mr Samphan denied as untrue reports that Wat Dhammakaya would return the money to members of the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative, saying the temple would not do so.

The lawyer said the temple had only talked to the chairman of the cooperative about the actual amount involved in the donations.

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