PHICHIT: An operation to examine donations and assets of Wat Luang Pho Ngern Bang Khlan provoked a scuffle between supporters of the temple's former abbot and the police-military inspection team on Monday.
Up to 150 officials, led by National Office of Buddhism staff, were confronted by the supporters. A brief scuffle broke out before the team managed to break through and conduct the inspection.
Finances of temples nationwide are subject to a state audit for the sake of transparency.
At the Phichit temple on Monday, 19 donation boxes were examined. However, the team stopped short of entering a nearby sermon hall where the former abbot, Phra Khru Wisitsilaphon, is believed to keep large amounts of valuables.
The hall was surrounded by the monk's supporters.
Phra Khru Wisitsilaphon was dismissed as abbot in 2014 by Phichit's provincial chief monk because he was allegedly breaking the clergy's code of conduct. It is not known what misconduct he committed.
Wat Luang Pho Ngern Bang Khlan became particularly well-known when it was supervised by Luang Pho Ngern, a highly revered abbot, nearly 100 years ago.
The inspection team said they want to make sure the temple's assets are managed in a transparent manner, root out any influential figures in the temple's affairs and regulate vendors who sell sacred objects linked to Luang Pho Ngern.
"We want to put things in order and assign a new veyyavaccakara" said National Office of Buddhism's inspector-general Praphan Tanwatthana, referring to a layman who takes charge of the temple's financial affairs.
However, supporters of Phra Khru Wisitsilaphon fiercely opposed the move when investigators appeared. The protesters attempted to keep the team from cutting the locks and entering the temple's Buddha image hall where donation boxes were kept.
Mr Praphan insisted the team had followed legal procedures in conducting the inspection. He said the officers had a search warrant issued by Phichit Provincial Court.
Officials had tried to inspect the temple earlier but failed. After Phra Khru Wisitsilaphon's dismissal, Phra Khru Phisutthi Warakon was appointed as acting abbot to straighten out the temple's finances. However, the problem has remained.
"Over the past four years in the position, I could not set rules and check accounts and all sacred objects," Phra Khru Phisutthi Warakon said, accusing a group of the former abbot's supporters of getting in the way of his work.
The supporters disagreed with the removal of Phra Khru Wisitsilaphon after complaints of improper behaviour and his alleged inability to honestly manage the temple's finances.
The accusations were made by residents and a local politician who was a former disciple of the temple. In response, the former abbot filed several lawsuits against these people.
During the court trial, evidence emerged that about 40 million baht of temple money had been spent trading shares on the stock exchange.
After four years of legal battles, the court ordered the former abbot to hand all assets and sacred objects to Phra Khru Phisutthi Warakon, but he has yet to do so.