Ex-Buddhism office execs face 200-year jail terms if convicted for embezzlement

[rooster59]

Ex-Buddhism office execs face 200-year jail terms if convicted for embezzlement

By THE NATION

 

 

FORMER top executives of the National Buddhism Office (NBO) risk lengthy jail terms of up to 200 years if they are found guilty of embezzling state funds for temples, National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) president Pol General Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit said yesterday.

 

Watcharapol said these former officials were suspects in several embezzlement cases. 

 

“The maximum penalty for each case is 50 years. But because of the many cases, the imprisonment term can be combined,” he said. “Then, they may face up to 200 years in jail if convicted.” 

 

Watcharapol reckoned that the convicts might get some penalty reduction. 

The NACC has now set up a subcommittee to investigate the use of state funds at 13 temples in response to allegations of embezzlement. 

 

Among the accused are former NBO chief Phanom Sornsilp and former deputy director of the NBO, Pranom Kongpikul.

 

Watcharapol said the NACC probes would proceed fast as the NACC already had relevant information in hand and evidence could be shared in some cases.

 

File photo

 

He said those who had fled the country would have to be fugitives all their life because there would be no statute of limitation in such cases under the NACC laws. 

 

It has been reported that another former director of the NBO, Nopparat Benjawatananan, had already fled Thailand. 

 

Many more temples are now being investigated. In the latest temple-fund scandal, police found evidence suggesting a senior monk might have transferred Bt25 million to a company that appeared to exist only on paper and is controlled by a woman with links to a military official.

 

The woman is a relative of Second Lieutenant Thititat Niponpittaya, whose house in Bangkok is shown as the company’s address.

Thititat and his relative were apparently close to the top monk at the Sa Ket Temple. 

 

His home was searched on Wednesday and his maid admitted to providing her documents to Thititat’s family at their bidding. The search also uncovered many guns and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, prompting police to summon Thititat for questioning. 

 

Deputy National Police Commissioner Pol General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said Thititat had submitted a written request asking that he have until May 21 to answer to the summons. 

 

“As for the maid, she has been treated as a witness. The interrogation on her past is already complete,” Srivara said. 

 

Last month, the NBO lodged a complaint against five senior monks, accusing them of embezzling state funds meant for Dhamma schools. Implicated are Phra Phromdilok, the abbot of Sam Phraya Temple; Phra Phrommedhi, an assistant abbot of Samphanthawongsaram Temple; Phra Phromsitti, the abbot of Sa Ket Temple; and Sa Ket Temple’s assistant abbots Phra Medhisuttikorn and Phra Wijitdhammaporn.

 

As the probe has expanded, police found links to DD Thaveekhoon Limited Partnership. 

 

The registered address of this firm turned out to be just a house, which belongs to Thititat, police found on Wednesday.

 

On Thursday, Deputy Supreme Commander ACM Sutti Inseeyong cancelled the order for Thititat to help with work at the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters command and general staff unit. Following the cancellation, Thititat has had to return to the headquarters’ security centre. 

 

Thititat, who worked as secretary to Pisit Leelavachiropas during the latter’s term as the auditor-general, joined the Armed Forces in 2016.

 

An informed source said Thititat could get the job because of the influence of a senior figure.

 

“We have never seen him come to work at the security centre during his first six months in the Armed Forces or before he was transferred to the command and general staff unit,” the source said. “Following his transfer, we heard that he was often seen at the Sa Ket Temple.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30345746

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-19

[mok199]

This once great kingdom and a beautiful path (buddihsm) has been corrupted by the greedy .How many families have been affected by this cult with its  merit system ( the more you give ,the better your status in the local temple),I peronally know  families that have given Everything...sad

[YetAnother]

7 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

FORMER top executives of the National Buddhism Office (NBO) risk lengthy jail terms of up to 200 years if they are found guilty of embezzling state funds for temples, National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) president Pol General Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit said yesterday.

still at the stage of talk and threats; haven't yet reached the stages for denials, defense lawyer-generated repeated court delays and flight

[bluesofa]

10 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

"It has been reported that another former director of the NBO, Nopparat Benjawatananan, had already fled Thailand."

I wonder if he has fled to a Christian country?

 

[Lungstib]

Big talk about the length of jail terms they could face but no mention if the two high ranking officials being investigated are actually still in the country. Just a vague reference to "those who have fled the country". Sounds like its all too late to even get the money back.

[ezzra]

33 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

I wonder if he has fled to a Christian country?

 

Probably to Australia under the guise of some sort of persecution or another and being filthy rich he can get the best immigration lawyer to help him

there's as story running now a bout the south Sudan acting general who has an unemployed son just buying a $1.5 million in Victoria while getting nearly $500,000 in social welfare payments to his family and living in a welfare housing while his siblings running around in high end cars....

[Anak Nakal]

200 years? 555555555!

No one pay price. All talk.

[mike324]

Its about time, the NBO is one of the most corrupt because of the fact that its monks and thais have deep respect for monks, so they think its taboo to investigate monks.

[marko kok prong]

Do they still keep feeding them up to the conclusion of the 200 year sentence.

[The Deerhunter]

Let them off with just 80 or 100 years each.   They won't be doing it again then.    Show them and everyone else that Thailand is fed up with corruption of this type. (And every other type,)

[Happyman58]

Fell a bit sorry for the Thai people. They believe in their Buddist religion so much and give them lots as in food clothing money. Then you get these maggots who just rip them off Just make them disappear nobody will miss them. They say the Mekong River is a good place to disappear and  the fish are always hungry

[Happyman58]

Just now, Happyman58 said:

Fell a bit sorry for the Thai people. They believe in their Buddist religion so much and give them lots as in food clothing money. Then you get these maggots who just rip them off Just make them disappear nobody will miss them. They say the Mekong River is a good place to disappear and  the fish are always hungry

Sorry Should be feel not fell Typing error

[Srikcir]

NOB is an agency of the central government under the PM. 

The government must also make temples stand on their own feet. No more financial support; no more privileges.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Office_of_Buddhism

Time to disband NOB.

Furthermore. it's time to disassociate the government entirely by eliminating the Department of Religion, currently under the Ministry of Culture.

[smutcakes]

Any investigation by the NACC should automatically be ignored. They have proved with the watch saga they are not independent and at the very least dangerously unfit for their supposed use. They are compromised and should stand down.

[bluesofa]

8 minutes ago, AsiaHand said:

Does not this "merit system" and "the more you give" method sound like what Martin Luther was in question about concerning The Catholic Church in the 1500 AD ?

Absolutely.

I mentioned exactly the same thing in a related article here:

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1038757-senior-monk-‘moved-bt25m-temple-funds-to-paper-firm’/?page=2&tab=comments#comment-12995627

 

[SOTIRIOS]

....'could'....'if'.......or nothing whatsoever.....

[metisdead]

An off topic post has been removed. 

[kannot]

On 5/19/2018 at 7:10 AM, mok199 said:

This once great kingdom and a beautiful path (buddihsm) has been corrupted by the greedy

ALL extremely debatable 

[sammieuk1]

The 200 years sentence could be tricky to justify if any watch collections are uncovered .

[Srikcir]

On 5/19/2018 at 7:05 AM, rooster59 said:

“Then, they may face up to 200 years in jail if convicted.” 

Just pure inflammatory hyperbole, likely intended to intimidate the accused into a confession.

 

Every Thai sentence I've seen that exceeded the statutory limit of 50 years has been commuted by the courts not exceeding the maximum of 50 years. This has been typically the case with Thais accused of Thailand's lèse majesté laws.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/04/thai-rights-lawyer-faces-150-years-prison-royal-insult/

[Cadbury]

On 5/19/2018 at 7:19 AM, bluesofa said:

I wonder if he has fled to a Christian country?

 

Vatican City might be a likely place to go to. They would be in good company.

[robblok]

Why is it that these guys face prison time (i agree with that), but you never hear about prison time for the people who defrauded from the poor ?