An ongoing probe into the alleged multibillion-baht embezzlement by executives of the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative has determined that its former chairman wrote cheques to himself and the controversial Dhammakaya Temple worth a total 1.3 billion baht, investigators said Wednesday.
Pol Col Seehanart Prayoonrat, secretary-general of the Anti-Money Laundering Office, said the agency's latest findings indicated that former chairman Supachai Srisuppa-aksorn had signed, on the cooperative's behalf, 878 cheques worth around 11 billion baht between 2008 and 2011. They were made out to both companies and individuals.
Among those cheques, 21 worth 592 million baht were made payable to himself, 15 to the Dhammakaya Temple in Pathum Thani (totalling 714 million baht), eight to Tisco Bank and other asset-management companies (321 million baht), 135 to Nakhon Pathom housing estate owner Watchanont Nawa-isararak and Jiradet Worapiankul for 2.5 billion baht.
Pol Col Seehanart said the payments to Dhammakaya were donations and temple officials have since notified Amlo that they will return the funds to the cooperative after the agency shows proof the funds were part of the embezzlement.
Amlo was still examining 691 cashier's cheques and cash-withdrawal slips signed by Mr Supachai.
About 1,000 members of the cooperative on Wednesday submitted proof of their financial losses to Amlo and listened to a progress report of the investigation.
In July 2013, more than 100 members of the cooperative filed complaints with police alleging that Mr Supachai and his associates had embezzled an estimated 12 billion baht, leaving members unable to withdraw their funds.
Pol Col Seehanart said Amlo's transaction panel would convene a meeting on Thursday to discuss freezing additional assets of those allegedly involved in the embezzlement scandal. It would also ask the Department of Special Investigation to protect the legal rights of the damaged parties in case the Civil Court ordered the frozen assets be confiscated for sale at auction.
The agency has already seized 609 items worth four billion baht from Mr Supachai and his associates.
Justice Ministry permanent secretary Pol Gen Chatchawan Suksomjit said a newly appointed DSI investigative team had divided suspects into three groups related to separate charges of embezzlement, fraud and falsifying documents. He promised to ensure justice for the affected cooperative members.
The new DSI investigative team was appointed at the request of affected members who had complained about the slow pace of the probe since it began in August 2013.