Germany declines to hand fugitive monk over to Thai police

By THE NATION

 

Phra Phrommedhi

 

GERMAN authorities are expected to make a decision in three days on whether to hand over a senior Buddhist monk wanted by Thai police in connection with a massive embezzlement scandal, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday.

 

Leading a team of Thai officers, national police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda failed to take the fugitive, Phra Phrommedhi, into custody from German authorities, who detained the monk following his arrival at Frankfurt Airport on Friday.

 

Media reported that the monk had sought asylum in Germany, but to General Prawit, who is also defence minister with oversight of the police force, said an initial investigation found he had yet to submit his application.

 

“The German authorities wanted time to examine the case. Normally that takes about two months. Thai authorities have asked them to complete it within three days,” Prawit said.

 

Thai authorities have submitted details of allegations against the monk to their German counterparts, he added.

 

“The monk asked not to meet with Thai authorities,” the deputy PM said.

 

Thai expatriates living in Germany were believed to have aided the monk’s escape, Prawit said, adding that the preparations were being made “long ago”. Thai authorities are examining evidence regarding the people involved, he said. 

 

The police team headed by Chakthip had flown to Frankfurt in the hope of escorting the fugitive monk back to Thailand today to face justice. They had booked 14 return seats on a Bangkok-bound Thai Airways flight, including one reserved for the monk suspected of embezzling state funds intended for temple development.

 

The suspect is now referred to by his lay name of Phra Chamnong Iam-intra, following a recent royal command to strip him and six other high-ranking monks embroiled in the embezzlement scandal of their monastic rank.

 

The police chief and his team are scheduled to arrive back in Bangkok from Frankfurt this morning, according to a police source. The team had been in Germany since Sunday on an urgent mission to retrieve the fugitive monk.

 

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said he had as yet received no update on the matter from the Royal Thai Embassy in Germany. He said his ministry was looking to see what it could do to resolve the situation.

 

On May 24, police raided three Bangkok temples with arrest warrants for seven senior monks accused of embezzling state funds. Phra Phrommedhi (Chamnong), former assistant abbot of Wat Samphanthawongsaram, and Phra Phromsitti, former abbot of Wat Sa Ket, managed to elude arrest, but Phra Phromsitti surrendered earlier this week and, on being denied bail, was defrocked and placed in custody. 

 

Phra Chamnong, who fled first to Laos, was detained by German Immigration on his arrival at Frankfurt Airport on Friday. Some suggested he fled to Germany in hope of securing help from the Wat Dhammakaya movement. 

 

The Dhammakaya movement has more than 20 temples or “coordination centres” in Europe. Seven of the centres are in Germany – in Berlin, Bavaria, Hamburg, the Black Forest in Baden-Wurttemberg, Heilbronn, Nordrhein Westfalen and Wat Phra Dhammakaya in Frankfurt. 

 

Phra Chamnong performed religious rites at the Bavarian temple in 2011 and 2015, on the latter occasion also heading a committee conducting dhamma examinations for monks.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30347053

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-06

DPM Prawit expects an answer about Phra Prommethi’s return to Thailand in 3 days

By Thai PBS

 

 

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said he expected to know within three days whether Phra Prommethi, former assistant abbot of Wat Samphanthawong, could be extradited from Germany to Thailand to face charges related to temple fund embezzlement.

 

He said German officials had informed Thai authorities that the process would take about two months, but the Thai side requested that the process should be accelerated to just three days.

 

A team of police and public prosecutors led by Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda, the national police chief, is now in Germany to arrange for the senior monk to be returned to Thailand.  Earlier, the police expected that the monk could be flown home on Thursday, but now it appears that the process may drag on as the monk has asked for asylum in Germany.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/dpm-prawit-expects-answer-phra-prommethis-return-thailand-3-days/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-06-06

The Thai mob of 13 (sorry - police team) that travelled to Frankfurt are very pushy. Linch mob comes to mind. Did they really need to waste return tickets to Frankfurt for 13 people? Perhaps they expected to scare the German authorities into compliance.

 

It's hard for them to grasp that in other countries the Democratic processes don't work as rapidly as they would like. They didn't ask. They just expected a 3-day decision in their favour and even reserved a seat for the Monk. This is going to be an interesting thread...

??

It's also VERY quiet about the UFO monk, was he from the Dhammakaya temple? 

 

The good news is that 13 Thai policemen have been in Germany now and could see what a real policeforce looks like. I hope they learned something from it.

34 minutes ago, webfact said:

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said he expected to know within three days whether Phra Prommethi, former assistant abbot of Wat Samphanthawong, could be extradited from Germany to Thailand to face charges related to temple fund embezzlement.

 

He said German officials had informed Thai authorities that the process would take about two months, but the Thai side requested that the process should be accelerated to just three days.

 

These folk have no idea how a proper legal system with the ability to appeal a judgement actually works.

 

I like that the Thai mob asked for the process to be accelerated to 3 day after being informed that reality is closer to 2 months. Then they expect the German authorities to comply to their request complete with ministerial announcements. These actions will only be used as supporting material for the asylum application.

 

This bloke will still be in Germany when the election happens.

Frequent flyer points , hotel, food, (public transport haha) , hire cars , entertainment 

at least 500,000 in airfares a cool  million dropped , on going off half cocked,

premature ejaculation sometimes leaves a visible stain, that someone else has to clean up who will be moved for this wastage?

I simply can't envisage what his asylum requeat papers would say. How could this crook possibly fit the bill?

If he gets in Germany needs to have a serious word with itself. Idiots like this deserve to be rotting in jail and no place else

8 minutes ago, Chang_paarp said:

This bloke will still be in Germany when the election happens.

A good way of putting it!

11 minutes ago, Thian said:

13 Thai policemen have been in Germany now and could see what a real policeforce looks like. I hope they learned something from it.

 

13 Thai policemen have been in Germany now and shown the Germans what a real police force looks like. I hope they learned something from it. (is more likely their attitude)

 

I wonder who gets to put their feet up on the spare seat flying back ??

In reality, it all has to to do with how strong and compelling are the evidence against the fugitive monk are, if they are pointing to a probable guilt ithink he will be refused his request to asylum, if not, than bad luck Thailand and just add him to the growing list of many others that evaded Thai justice ...

1 minute ago, z42 said:

I simply can't envisage what his asylum requeat papers would say. How could this crook possibly fit the bill?

If he gets in Germany needs to have a serious word with itself. Idiots like this deserve to be rotting in jail and no place else

It's very simple: a gang of high ranking policemen (including the national police chief) turn up demanding to interrogate him, insisting that he is handed over within three days. They are from a junta government, with a record of suspicious death in custody of people who were close to the establishment and fell foul of it. That should be enough, no matter what he is accused of/has done.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Thai authorities have asked them to complete it within three days,” Prawit said.

 

Thai authorities have given an ultimatum to the Germans. Say "pretty please" and you may have a chance.

 

30 minutes ago, Thian said:

It's also VERY quiet about the UFO monk, was he from the Dhammakaya temple? 

 

The good news is that 13 Thai policemen have been in Germany now and could see what a real policeforce looks like. I hope they learned something from it.

The Thai police under the current regime are used to getting anything they want, so this might come as an embarrassing shock when they turn up empty-handed.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

They had booked 14 return seats on a Bangkok-bound Thai Airways flight,

idiots, they charge over to a civilized country with a merry band of 13 and expect to have everything their own way;

highlighting their stupidity all these vital details should have been identified and cleared long before, as much as we detest lawyers, there should have been legal consult by those with background in intl law as well as background with germany

Well done the Germans, they have stuck up 2 fingers to an arrogant bunch of pr++ks.

3 minutes ago, tropo said:

 

The Thai police under the current regime are used to getting anything they want, so this might come as an embarrassing shock when they turn up empty-handed.

Yes it's like the thai boys who get rejected by a girl, i hope they were not armed on their trip to germany to arrest a buddhist monk.

 

To not come home empty handed they should have gone to London and claim they were there to get Yinluck. You never know, maybe it would have worked.

 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He said German officials had informed Thai authorities that the process would take about two months, but the Thai side requested that the process should be accelerated to just three days.

thailand setting deadlines for a civilized country once inside their country !! sounds islamist

Another Keystone moment.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Normally that takes about two months. Thai authorities have asked them to complete it within three days,” Prawit said

Yea, bugger all the other people who are waiting. They can wait. 

 

Wonder if the monk has some dirt on these people. 

Operation X-ray monk.
Rogue monk loose in Germany. Warning, has magic amulets.
Approach with caution.

22 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Another Keystone moment.

The media are going to have a field day when the plane touches down back in Bangkok. The censorship police might also be out in force.

The loss of face must be off the scale. Yours truly will be apoplectic. 

If the monk gets to stay in Germany someone's head will be on the block and you can bet it wont be his best mate Prawit, the man responsible for this debacle. 

 

4 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

The media are going to have a field day when the plane touches down back in Bangkok. The censorship police might also be out in force.

The loss of face must be off the scale. Yours truly will be apoplectic. 

If the monk gets to stay in Germany someone's head will be on the block and you can bet it wont be his best mate Prawit, the man responsible for this debacle. 

 

Well can you believe it?! Another failed arrest of a famous monk...after the war they had at the UFO temple this one seemed to be a homerun.

 

Germany called that they arrested their monk, they went there to get him and guess what? Germany refused to give him. Who would have thought?

 

I hope the germans gave them at least some beerjugs as souvenhirs. How can they call and not hand over the monk (who has 7 temples in germany).

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said.........blah, blah, blah

This is the man ultimately responsible for this debacle.

Every picture tells a story. 

Well can you believe it?! Another failed arrest of a famous monk...after the war they had at the UFO temple this one seemed to be a homerun.
 
Germany called that they arrested their monk, they went there to get him and guess what? Germany refused to give him. Who would have thought?
 
I hope the germans gave them at least some beerjugs as souvenhirs. How can they call and not hand over the monk (who has 7 temples in germany).

7 temples eh!
He must be raking it in.
Bet he's got millions stashed under his mattress.
This religion lark is a great money making scheme.

I'm sure they are all having a jolly good time in Germany.

Don't forget to stock up with watches on the way back. 

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

He said German officials had informed Thai authorities that the process would take about two months, but the Thai side requested that the process should be accelerated to just three days.

Dream on. 

1 hour ago, Thian said:

The good news is that 13 Thai policemen have been in Germany now and could see what a real policeforce looks like. I hope they learned something from it.

Guess they could also take a look at the legal Brothels ?

2 hours ago, webfact said:

He said German officials had informed Thai authorities that the process would take about two months, but the Thai side requested that the process should be accelerated to just three days.

I cringe to think what his response would be if they repeat their original statement......2 months.

 

Get over yourself little guy, you are nobody outside your own border.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai authorities have asked them to complete it within three days,” Prawit said.

 

Oh like the Coup?

Like the right to vote? ??