The Criminal Court on Tuesday rejected the Department of Special Investigation's request to arrest Phra Dhammajayo for failing to acknowledge charges in the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement case, saying he was not a flight risk.
Pol Lt Col Pakorn Sucheewakul, head of the DSI's Finance and Banking Office, said investigators would summon the abbot of Wat Dhammakaya for the third time within 15 days following the court’s decision.
Samphan Sermcheep, Phra Dhammajayo’s lawyer, said his legal team may consider suing the DSI investigators for malfeasance. He alleged the agency’s request for arrest warrant of Phra Dhammajayo was illegal.
Mr Samphan earlier on Tuesday filed a petition with the Criminal Court to block the DSI's warrant after investigators said on Monday they would seek the warrant for Phra Dhammajayo's arrest the next day.
The DSI charged the abbot of Wat Dhammakaya with conspiring and collaborating to launder money and collaborating to accept stolen goods.
Earlier, the department summoned the monk to hear the charges twice but he sought a delay, citing religious duties and poor health.
Wat Dhammakaya also on Tuesday showed more evidence supporting its claims that the abbot was sick and said Phra Dhammajayo was willing to let DSI doctors examine him.
Phra Sanitwong Wutthiwaso, director of the temple's organisational communications office, showed reporters a photo of Phra Dhammajayo in 2015 and those he said were taken recently. They showed his left leg was swollen but did not show his face.
"He's 72 now and when he's sick he could not keep the deadline. We're seeking justice in the consideration of this case," Phra Sanitwong said.
In 2015, Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, chairman of Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative, was arrested on charges of embezzlement and money laundering after he had siphoned 11 billion baht from the funds. Some 900 million baht of the embezzled funds was donated to Phra Dhammajayo.
Last month, the Criminal Court sentenced Supachai to 16 years in jail, the first such ruling in seven cases connected to the cooperative scandal. Supachai pleaded guilty in court to charges of embezzlement, which he initially denied.