Wat Dhammakaya 'donations' must be returned

Wat Dhammakaya 'donations' must be returned

Honestly, I cannot resist writing something about last week’s disclosure by Pol Col Sihanart Prayoonrat, secretary-general of the Anti-Money Laundering Office, regarding controversial donations totalling 714 million baht made to Wat Dhammakaya.

The Amlo chief told a press conference on Feb 12 that 15 cheques totalling 714 million baht were issued to Wat Dhammakaya by Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, the former chairman of Klong Chan Credit Union Cooperative who is charged with embezzling more than 11 billion baht from the cooperative in the last couple of years.

However, he said, Amlo was powerless to sequester the 714 million baht because the money was regarded as state property under monastic law once it was donated to the temple.

Pol Col Sihanart Prayoonrat, secretary-general of the Anti-Money Laundering Office, (Bangkok Post photo)

The financially-troubled Klong Chan Credit Union Cooperative could take the case to the Civil Court, demanding the return of the money. He added, however, that he heard the temple had expressed a wish to return the money to the cooperative.

In this particular case, it seems obvious the 714 million baht in "donations" given to Wat Dhammakaya were part of the billions allegedly siphoned from the cooperative by Mr Supachai, and were made without the knowledge or consent of its members. So, this ill-gotten money must be returned to its rightful owners, the cooperative and its members.

But, somehow, this seems to be problematic as the money has become state property under monastic law, according to Pol Col Sihanart.

Anyhow, there is a point that the colonel needs to clear up – that is about the 15 cheques. Were they all issued payable to the temple or to individuals as well, in which case the legal process is very different. Money given to the temple is state property, but money payable to an individual's bank account is not and must be sequestered.

I do not know how the police colonel got the message that the temple had expressed a wish to return the money to the cooperative. A similar message was floated more than six months ago, and so far is still just hot air.

The cooperative filed a civil lawsuit against the temple demanding the return of 937 million baht, not just 714 million baht, in the middle of last year. The court has set March 18 for the two parties to settle the conflict out of court.

What is definite is that Wat Dhammakaya has no right to keep the money, even though the abbot claims it has already been used by the temple and even if the abbot or the temple did not know from the beginning that it was the proceeds of crime.

It is indeed weird that the abbot, Phra Thep Yan Mahamunee or Dhammachayo, said in his testimony to the Thanyaburi court on June 23, according to Thai Publica, that he did not know Mr Supachai. This is despite the fact Mr Supachai was the chairman of the temple’s thod kathin merit-making activities, the temple’s treasurer and the founder of a savings cooperative located on the temple grounds.

This scandal does not bode well for the temple, already well known for its indulgence in pomp, publicity, aggressive indoctrination of disciples and materialism. In its latest brush with the law, a branch temple was found under construction on encroached hilltop land in Chiang Rai.

Veera Prateepchaikul

Former Editor

Former Bangkok Post Editor, political commentator and a regular columnist at Post Publishing.

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