Buddhist Monk Caught in $2.8M Fraud and Sex Scandal in Thailand

• Phra Wachirayan Wi, 66, former abbot of Wat Phutthaisawan, was arrested on Thursday on embezzlement and money laundering charges
• The case drew additional public attention after CCTV footage, allegedly showing the monk and his alleged co-conspirator in a sexual encounter inside his private residence
• Authorities seized assets worth roughly 215 million baht, including 16kg of gold bars, jewellery and 28 land title deeds

THAILAND — A senior Buddhist monk in Thailand has been arrested on embezzlement and money laundering charges after police alleged that millions of baht donated to his monastery were diverted and never reached the temple's accounts.

According to the BBC, Phra Wachirayan Wi, 66, the former abbot of Wat Phutthaisawan, a prominent royal monastery in Ayutthaya, was taken into custody on Thursday. A 47-year-old woman, accused of helping convert and conceal the funds, was arrested alongside him.

How the funds were allegedly diverted

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Investigators say the case was triggered in mid-July by an anonymous tip about alleged misconduct and the misuse of temple funds. Lead investigator Pattanasak Bupphasuwan told a press conference on Friday that police identified two distinct streams of money linked to donations made in the monastery's name.

Approximately 89 million baht ($2.69 million) was collected towards renovation works, while a further 2.8 million baht was received for Buddhist amulets and sacred objects. According to Pattanasak, none of those funds were deposited into the temple's account.

"But the money from both streams did not enter the temple's account — not a single baht," he said.

Authorities have since seized assets valued at around 215 million baht, including 16kg of gold bars and jewellery as well as 28 land title deeds. Investigators are now working to determine which assets belonged to the monk personally and which may have been temple property.

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Monk defrocked after CCTV footage emerges

The case drew additional public attention after CCTV footage, allegedly showing the monk and the arrested woman in a sexual encounter inside his private residence, was leaked and broadcast widely by Thai media. Buddhist monks in Thailand are required to observe celibacy and renounce material possessions. Phra Wachirayan Wi was defrocked shortly after his arrest.

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Wat Phutthaisawan commands a significant following that reportedly includes government officials, business figures, police and military personnel. The former abbot was also known for crafting Buddhist amulets, with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reported to be among those who wore them.

Central Investigation Bureau commissioner Nattasak Chaowanasai confirmed that the inquiry would continue beyond the initial arrests.

"We will expand the investigation to identify other people involved and restore public confidence in Buddhism," he said.

The case follows a separate high-profile scandal from last year, in which a woman was accused of blackmailing at least 11 monks with whom she allegedly had sexual relationships, and of extorting close to $12 million in monastery funds.

Vietnamese tycoon sentenced for billion-rand fraud

Briefly News aslo reported that a high-profile Vietnamese real estate tycoon was sentenced to death on Thursday in one of the biggest corruption cases in history, with an estimated $27 billion in damages. Truong My Lan, chair of major developer Van Thinh Phat, was found guilty of embezzling cash from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) over the course of a decade in a case that has stunned the nation. Eighty-five others, including Lan's husband, niece and several SCB executives, were also sentenced at the court.

Source: Briefly News