A former monk close to the disrobed abbot of Wat Rai Khing, who was accused of embezzling temple funds to gamble online, was arrested in Nakhon Pathom on Friday.
Crime Suppression Division police apprehended Ekkapot Phukhang, former Phra Maha Ekkapot Phukhang, at Lotus shopping mall in Nakhon Pathom late Friday morning.
Mr Ekkapot, a close associate of former abbot Phra Thamma Wachiranuwat of Wat Rai Khing in Nakhon Pathom, was wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court on Jan 29 for colluding in online gambling, persuading people either directly or indirectly to bet and laundering money.
The suspect and Aranyawan Wangthapan, a female broker linked to an online gambling network, were issued with the arrest warrants at the same time. Ms Aranyawan, who was close to the former Wat Rai Khing abbot, was arrested on Thursday.
Mr Ekkapot was implicated in the temple fund embezzlement because he had transferred temple money to Ms Aranyawan’s bank account, according to police.
Phra Thamma Wachiranuwat, 70, former abbot of the famous Buddhist temple officially disrobed from the monkhood on Thursday night after he was accused of allegedly embezzling 300 million baht from the temple. He turned himself to police on Thursday.
The arresting team later took Mr Ekkapot to the Royal Police Cadet Academy in Samphran district of this central province for questioning.
Pol Maj Gen Charoonkiat Pankaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), interrogated the suspect.
Mr Ekkapot told the CIB deputy chief that Yaem Inkhungkao, the layman name of the disrobed abbot, had asked him to deposit temple money to ATM machines before the money was later transferred to Ms Aranyawan’s bank account to gamble online.
Police also called Phra Khru Palad Suwattanawimonkhun, assistant abbot of Wat Rai Khing, and CPO1 Chatmee Inmee, a former sailor close to the abbot, and his wife for questioning. Authorities found that the ownership of almost all the temple’s cars were registered under the name of CPO1 Chatmee.
However, no charges were pressed against anyone.