Buddhism office officials allegedly took Bt300m from temple subsidies

[webfact]

Buddhism office officials allegedly took Bt300m from temple subsidies

By KORNKAMOL AKSORNDEJ 
THE NATION

 

 

SENIOR OFFICIALS at the National Buddhism Office and their accomplices are accused of siphoning off more than Bt300 million from state subsidies for 30 temples in recent years, according to investigations.
 

Among the prime suspects are the NBO’s former directors Phanom Sornsilp and Nopparat Benjawatananan. Phanom remains defiant in the face of imminent legal troubles while Nopparat has left the country. 

 

“During their terms at the helm of the NBO, some temples were asked to ‘return’ most of the state subsidies disbursed to them,” Prime Minister’s Office Minister Omsin Chiwaphruek said yesterday. 

 

 

“It’s like if a temple gets Bt2 million for renovation, it’s told to return Bt1.3 million,” Omsin said.

 

The Auditor-General’s Office reported to Omsin last week that 30 temples had been involved in the kickback scandal. 

 

By law, the NBO can allocate state funds to temples across the country in support of their renovation and repair, Dhamma studies and religious promotion.

 

“We have found that some temples received subsidies for Dhamma studies despite the fact that they did not have schools to conduct such classes,” said Pol Maj General Kamol Reanracha, commander of the national police Counter Corruption Division.

 

 

Already 19 suspects have been identified. 

 

“Of them, five are officials at the NBO and four are monks,” he said. 

 

He spoke after his division conducted simultaneous searches at 14 locations in seven provinces in the morning. Armed with search warrants, they raided homes associated with Phanom and Nopparat. 

 

Police targeted Phanom on suspicion that he became “unusually wealthy” while serving as NBO director. Gold bars weighing about 1.2 kilograms and worth about Bt1.76 million were found at Phanom’s home along with receipts for shares he had purchased in a cooperative, Kamol said.

 

Phanom’s assets would be listed for the Anti-Money Laundering Office to consider freezing, he said. 

 

 

A source said Phanom’s assets must have been worth more than Bt100 million as he was found to own land.

 

In February, the National Council for Peace and Order invoked Article 44 of the interim constitution to remove Phanom from his position, saying he had failed to take action against the controversial Dhammakaya Temple. 

He was transferred to an inactive post at the Prime Minister’s Office.

 

At the home of Nopparat’s mother-in-law in Nonthaburi’s Bang Bua Thong area, police seized a safe to examine its contents. 

 

Nopparat moved to the United States about a month ago, reportedly leaving behind “five or six” wives. 

The house searched yesterday belongs to the mother of his latest wife, but it has remained unoccupied since he left for the US.

 

 

The houses of the other NBO officials implicated in the scandal have also been searched. 

 

Phanom reported to the Counter Corruption Division at about 3.30pm to seek more information on the case. 

 

He is now charged with malfeasance in violation of Article 157 of the Criminal Code and with abusing his authority in embezzling state funds, in violation of Article 147.

 

“No, I’m not worried,” he said when asked by reporters. 

 

“I will soon gather evidence to clear the allegations against me.”

 

He said he was linked to the scandal only because he had approved a project during his stint as NBO director. 

 

Pattana Subammartmontr, an academic attached to the NBO, and Narongdej Chainet, chief of the Sing Buri Buddhism Office, are facing the same charges as Phanom. 

 

Searches of their family homes reportedly revealed they had significant assets.

 

 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30327344

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-22

[Samui Bodoh]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

Buddhism office officials allegedly took Bt300m from temple subsidies

 

I am sure that Buddha would be soooooo proud.

 

I am curious; does anyone think there is such a thing as an "honest" Thai state official?

 

Anyone?

 

[inThailand]

3 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

 

I am sure that Buddha would be soooooo proud.

 

I am curious; does anyone think there is such a thing as an "honest" Thai state official?

 

Anyone?

 

or monk? 

[tracker1]

Another one taking flight with the cash and another moved to an inactive post  mmmmm

[mikebell]

Will Thailand seek to extradite the crook from US?  How does a Thai get a visa for US and remain there indefinitely ?

[james.d]

I have lived here more years than i care to remember and the amount of corruption still ceases to amaze me.

[inThailand]

6 minutes ago, james.d said:

I have lived here more years than i care to remember and the amount of corruption still ceases to amaze me.

Yup! Like prices here it just keeps rising by leaps with no bounds. 

[colinneil]

Problem is in order to get into high ranking positions applicants have to part with some serious cash.

Then when they get their high ranking positions they then screw as much money out of it as possible to recoup what they laid out.

This will never stop until people are awarded positions on merit, and not on how much money they laid out.

[rkidlad]

And this is why my missus doesn't visit temples anymore. Only when she has to. 

 

I've tried teaching her the atheist way of setting your own standards and morals. Which is basically 'treat people how you'd like to be treated'. I know, I know. That's in the bible. But it it's not a religious idea - it's common sense. Last time we were in CM we went to an orphanage and bought loads of food and some toys. We helped feed the kids and interacted with them. No monks, no religion, no god, no karma. Just being good human beings who'll cease to exist one day.  

 

Our reward for this? We don't want one. But there was a byproduct of doing this, it made us feel good.  I do hope there is a hell though. Many people will be in for a shock. 

[leeneeds]

Good on ya!

 showing where to drill to open the safe

[PatOngo]

3 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

 

I am sure that Buddha would be soooooo proud.

 

I am curious; does anyone think there is such a thing as an "honest" Thai state official?

 

Anyone?

 

They are all "honest", just ask them.

[YetAnother]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He spoke after his division conducted simultaneous searches at 14 locations in seven provinces in the morning. Armed with search warrants, they raided homes associated with Phanom and Nopparat. 

not particularly impressed with the quoted numbers given the huge number of temples and huge number of people potentially involved in this general problem;

this public event , 30 temples, 19 suspects, seems started by raiding two people who had big houses; drop in the bucket;

more more financial oversight, external to temple personnel is needed;

temples here appear to be generally viewed as above the law as they have a term 'buddhist' attached to them;

the behaviors that we see publicly by temple people reveal childish behavior, they Know they can get away with so much that they continue to do;

and thai people encourage such bad behavior (as parents sometimes do with their children) by looking the other way

[connda]

Sort of supports the idea of separation of church and state.  Anyway, why do Buddhist temples need subsidies?  

[gamini]

5 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

 

I am sure that Buddha would be soooooo proud.

 

I am curious; does anyone think there is such a thing as an "honest" Thai state official?

 

Anyone?

 

A childish and stupid remark. But I guess you are not educated so cant help it. Or just a mentally sick Thai basher.

[Media1]

All criminals and anybody can be a monk. We prefer monks that have upcoming criminal charges please. As for officials please. Official criminals 

[longtom]

As a Buddhist I find that totally disgusting (a keen observer will realize that therefore I am not an advanced practitioner).

 

Thai Buddhism is really dragging Buddha's teachings in the mud.

[12DrinkMore]

Let's run the numbers here.

 

An annual budget of 5 billon over five years is 25 billion for the Buddhist Bandits to manage.

 

They reckon that of this, just 300 million went astray.

 

That is a leakage of only 1.2%.

 

Conclusion. This is the most honest organisation in Thaliand or there are a lot more "unusually rich" Bandits around.

 

They have only scratched the surface.

[Rancid]

Would seem some have lost the plot on what actual Buddhism is supposed to be all about, even the bible mentions the likelihood of a rich man passing through the eye of a needle being more likely that ascension to heaven. Seems a few F's on the karmic scorecard will be in order.

[silent]

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

Problem is in order to get into high ranking positions applicants have to part with some serious cash.

Then when they get their high ranking positions they then screw as much money out of it as possible to recoup what they laid out.

This will never stop until people are awarded positions on merit, and not on how much money they laid out.

Same as lawyers

[silent]

1 hour ago, longtom said:

As a Buddhist I find that totally disgusting (a keen observer will realize that therefore I am not an advanced practitioner).

 

Thai Buddhism is really dragging Buddha's teachings in the mud.

It's all in the interpretation of write and wrong.  

[lvr181]

Wow! Who would have thought?

 

Yup, corruption is rampant in ALL levels of Thai society, particularly among the powerful.

[Bundooman]

14 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

 

I am sure that Buddha would be soooooo proud.

 

I am curious; does anyone think there is such a thing as an "honest" Thai state official?

 

Anyone?

 

No!

[Psimbo]

12 hours ago, gamini said:

A childish and stupid remark. But I guess you are not educated so cant help it. Or just a mentally sick Thai basher.

As opposed to an incredibly naive remark?

[wow64]

Corruption is a religion in Thailand 

[TMNH]

17 hours ago, rkidlad said:

And this is why my missus doesn't visit temples anymore. Only when she has to. 

Kudos to you and your  wife for demonstrating not only kindness, but also humility. Both seem to be sorely lacking these days, but it's the "un-sung" heros such as yourself, wife, and others who make this world a better place. Simply, a well-stated and simple philosophy that obviously can be accomplished without the guise of religion.

 

17 hours ago, rkidlad said:

I've tried teaching her the atheist way of setting your own standards and morals. Which is basically 'treat people how you'd like to be treated'. I know, I know. That's in the bible. But it it's not a religious idea - it's common sense. Last time we were in CM we went to an orphanage and bought loads of food and some toys. We helped feed the kids and interacted with them. No monks, no religion, no god, no karma. Just being good human beings who'll cease to exist one day.  

 

Our reward for this? We don't want one. But there was a byproduct of doing this, it made us feel good.  I do hope there is a hell though. Many people will be in for a shock. 

 

[inThailand]

14 hours ago, longtom said:

As a Buddhist I find that totally disgusting (a keen observer will realize that therefore I am not an advanced practitioner).

 

Thai Buddhism is really dragging Buddha's teachings in the mud.

your hooker wife converted u?

[TMNH]

1 hour ago, inThailand said:

your hooker wife converted u?

And pray tell (no pun intended), how you- as a total stranger arrive at the conclusion  that his wife is as - you say- a "hooker"? At least from my perspective, your f....d-up rationale is no better than the corrupt

thieves in this article.

[TMNH]

And furthermore, not knowing the  nationality of "in Thailand", I would hate to think that you're a native Thai. And if so, you just reinforced what has been suggested.If you need a diagram, I'd be happy to afford you in that respect :)

 

[wakeupplease]

Is that all they took probably 10x that if the truth is known, corruption around here is mind blowing taking from the poor and less educated its a way of life here disgusting.

[TMNH]

"when people show you who they are, believe them". Understand "in Thailand"? Obviously you and the kind person along with his wife whom you disparaged are miles apart as far as kindness goes. But I can't teach you that- you either get it or you do not get it. I will pray for you (no pun intended) so you can see kindness in the most simplest of ways. Culture means nothing to me when it comes down to decency. We're all the same as human beings and if you lack a kind heart, then you were corrupted at some point. Not rocket science..quite simple in my opinion.