Abbot’s bail denied for second charge of the week

By Kesinee Tangkhieo
The Nation

 

 

The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases yesterday denied bail for a senior monk, who is accused of embezzeling state subsidies for temples.

 

Phra Khru Kitti Patcharakhun, the abbot of Lad Khae temple and chief monk of Phetchabun’s Chon Daen district, will very likely spend his whole weekend at a Bangkok prison pending his appeal against the court’s decision. 

 

 The police Counter Corruption Division (CCD) brought the 53-year-old monk to court yesterday morning accusing him of violating anti-money-laundering laws as well as the Criminal Code. 

 

The CCD also sought permission to keep the monk in detention until December 12 pending further investigation into his alleged wrongdoing. 

 

Phra Khru Kitti Patcharakhun is one of the many suspects implicated in alleged schemes to steal state-provided temple subsidies. High-level officials of the National Office of Buddhism are also implicated in the scandal, which reportedly caused huge financial damages to the state. 

 

The CCD objected to the monk’s bail request. Bail was rejected by the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases even though the monk had prepared Bt400,000 cash for the purpose. 

 

The embattled monk has denied any wrongdoing and vowed to petition the Court of Appeals over the lower court’s decision to not give him temporary freedom. 

 

The abbot was arrested twice this week. 

 

On Wednesday, he was nabbed and brought to the Criminal Court on charges of sexually abusing a child under 15 years old. 

 

On Thursday, he managed to secure bail with a Bt200,000 bond. But the CCD team turned up to arrest him upon his release from the Criminal Court. 

 

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Whatever happened to Dhammachaya? (or whatever his name was)

As there are so many maybe there should be a special prison for wayward monks, with a temple type life style.

Charged for sexually abusing a child and released on bail. Charged with laundering and he gets refused bail. 

 

As as for the charges of laundering - why does a monk have anything to do with money anyway? 

Leave this bugger in Jail until he gets sentenced, then sent back to jail for being

a criminal while being  a monk as well.

Geezer