Police have found evidence of embezzlement of state maintenance funding at 476 more temples as they expand their investigation nationwide.
Pol Maj Gen Kamol Reanracha, commander of the Counter Corruption Division (CCD), said on Tuesday that investigators had found similar irregularities to those at temples where maintenance funds from the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) had earlier been found syphoned off.
The investigation results were shared in a meeting at the CCD on Tuesday. Present were officials from the Crime Suppression Division, Technology Crime Suppression Division, the Economic Crime Suppression Division, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), the Anti-Money Laundering Office and the Office of the Auditor General.
"Investigators have found that the fraud has occurred at temples in Bangkok and at others in all regions of the country. They have identified new groups of offenders, including officials in the NOB and laymen at temples," Pol Maj Gen Kamol said.
He said 476 more temples were now implicated.
Tuesday's meeting also discussed possible the prosecution for money laundering of suspected embezzlers at 12 temples where similar fraudulent practices were found earlier. These cases were being handled by the NACC, the commander said.
He gave an assurance that his division would check the spending of state funds at temples nationwide and then report all irregularities to the NACC for legal action. He confirmed the NACC was investigating about 60 temples in southern border provinces.
Police have charged nine people, including present and former NOB officials, with embezzlement and dereliction of duty in relation to the misappropriation of temple maintenance funds.