Police expect to wrap up a probe into the temple fund embezzlement scandal involving three temples in Bangkok next month.
A police source said the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has instructed Crime Suppression Division (CSD) investigators to step up efforts to gather evidence against suspects involved in the alleged embezzlement.
The move comes after CSD police were given court approval on Thursday for a second 12-day detention period for seven former senior monks currently held at the Bangkok Remand Prison in connection with the scandal, the source said.
On May 24, CSD police raided Wat Samphanthawong, Wat Sa Ket and Wat Sam Phraya in Bangkok, looking to arrest eight senior monks suspected of involvement in the scandal.
Five were arrested during the raids while former Wat Sa Ket abbot, Phra Phrom Sitthi and former Wat Sa Ket assistant abbot Phra Ratcha Upa-senapon turned themselves in to CSD police later.
The final suspect, former assistant abbot of Wat Samphanthawong Phra Phrom Methee, is still on the run. He was detained in Frankfurt, Germany and is reportedly applying for asylum there.
The same source added that CSD investigators would summon at least another 20 witnesses for questioning. Most of them allegedly received money transferred from the account of Wat Sa Ket or the personal account of the former Phra Phrom Sitthi.
The source said that Wat Sa Ket has the largest number of suspects and the temple's money trail associated with the alleged embezzlement is more complicated than those at the two other temples, adding that gathering evidence in this temple's case may take more time.
However, police investigators expect to wrap up a probe into all three temples early next month before forwarding the case to prosecutors, the source said.
Even though the fugitive former Phra Phrom Methee remains at large, investigators can forward the case against him in absentia. If the former monk is arrested later, he will be presented to the prosecution for legal proceedings, the source said.
Regarding five people wanted for helping the former Phra Phrom Methee to evade police, the Immigration Bureau has been asked to provide more information to help in the search for them.
