Government sees no need for car probe haste

Government sees no need for car probe haste

Let justice take its course, says Paiboon

Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya: 'Investigators are working hard to ensure justice for all' (Post Today photo)
Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya: 'Investigators are working hard to ensure justice for all' (Post Today photo)

There is no need to speed up an ongoing investigation into luxury car tax fraud in which the senior monk nominated to become the country's 20th supreme patriarch is allegedly involved, says Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya.

Paiboon Nititawan, former chairman of the now-defunct National Reform Council (NRC) committee on religious affairs, petitioned the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) Monday, calling on them to speed up the probe. 

The Sangha Supreme Council (SSC) on Jan 5 nominated Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, also known as Somdet Chuang, as the country's 20th supreme patriarch, and later sent the nomination to the government.

Gen Paiboon said Monday investigators are working hard to ensure justice for all.

However, Gen Paiboon admitted the tax evasion cases dated back to 2013 and the investigation was taking a long time. He said he would ask the DSI chief about progress.

The DSI has been handling cases relating to luxury cars which were allegedly claimed to be locally assembled to avoid high import taxes. Several of these cases were referred to the Customs Department for further action.

Gen Paiboon said these cases have caught the attention of the public and some of them might be linked to other scandals. He did not elaborate but said anyone found to be the owners of these illegal cars must face legal action.

Pol Maj Worranan Srilum, director of the DSI's Special Case Management Centre, said Monday the luxury cars being investigated fall into two groups.

The first comprises 500 cars priced at more than 4 million baht each and the second comprises more than 5,000 cars priced below 4 million baht each. A Mercedes Benz which belongs to Somdet Chuang is included in the second group, Pol Maj Worranan said.

He said the DSI will look at documents relating to the import of the Mercedes to see whether it was imported legally. The car is no longer in use, and kept at a vintage car museum at Wat Pak Nam Phasi Charoen, where Somdet Chuang is the abbot, Pol Maj Worranan said.

Paiboon Nititawan said he had asked the DSI to investigate three issues -- if the car was illegally acquired, how the senior monk was involved and if there was any illegalities.

The former NRC panel chairman said the investigation would prevent any backlash that could stall the supreme patriarch nomination process.

"If nothing illegal is found, all suspicions will be cleared. But if the law was broken, I believe Somdet Chuang will make a decision in the best interests of Buddhism,'' Mr Paiboon said.

He also said he will ask the Office of the Ombudsman to interpret Section 7 of the Sangha Act which deals with nominating new supreme patriarchs, to determine if nominations are the responsibility of the prime minister. 

Mr Paiboon argued the law authorises the prime minister, with the approval of the SSC, to nominate the most senior of the somdet phra racha khana, or top-ranking senior monks in the Thai monastic hierarchy with the title of somdet, for royal endorsement as the supreme patriarch. This means the SSC has no authority to start the nomination process, Mr Paiboon claimed.

Activist monk Phra Buddha Isara, who petitioned the DSI to probe Somdet Chuang's alleged involvement in the luxury car tax evasion scam, said the senior monk may not have initially known about the alleged tax evasion.

These luxury classic cars parked at Wat Pak Nam Phasi Charoen, temple of the nominee for supreme patriarch (inset), have created a scandal. (Photo by Pornprom Satrabhaya)

But when the scam emerged, it was improper for Somdet Chuang to continue to keep the car. "Refusing to turn the car over to the authorities means a willingness to accept it. This is a breach of the Buddhist monks' code of conduct. It is tantamount to receiving stolen items," Phra Buddha Isara said.

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