Arrest warrants issued for five suspected of helping monk flee

By THE NATION

 

File photo: Phra Prommedhi

 

FIVE SUSPECTS, including three Laotians, face arrests for allegedly helping Phra Prommedhi flee from Thailand after the Nakhon Phanom Provincial Court approved warrants for them yesterday.

 

The suspects were identified as Sasi-orn Jeamwijitkul, Phirawat Srisattha, Jantana Rattana, her daughter Kittima and her son. Jantana is a Laotian and so are her children.

 

Phra Prommedhi reportedly escaped Thailand via the Nakhon Phanom border province into Laos. From there, he headed to Cambodia and Vietnam before boarding a flight to Qatar and then to Germany. He was apprehended as he tried to pass through immigration control at a German airport, but he has not yet been handed over to Thailand.

 

The monk – now known as Chamnong Dhammajari – has been stripped of all monastic ranks over allegations that he embezzled state funds for temples.

 

Before the allegations surfaced, he was an assistant abbot of Samphanthawongsaram Temple, a member of the Sangha Supreme Council and holder of the prestigious ranking of Phra Phrommedhi. He is one of several high-ranking monks, including Sa Ket Temple’s former abbot Phra Phromsitti, to be defrocked and detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison.

 

The embezzlement scandal, which continues to grow in scope, includes alleged crimes involving former top executives of the National Buddhism Office (NBO).

 

Pol Maj-General Kamol Rienracha, who heads the police force’s Counter Corruption Division (CCD), said yesterday that police are now primarily focused on temples receiving more than Bt1 million in state fund via the NBO.

 

A source familiar with the ongoing investigation said irregularities were detected at about 30 more temples.

 

“Most these temples are located in the North and the Central regions,” the source said.

 

The ongoing investigation suggested more NBO officials might have been involved in corruption, with the most common pattern of irregularities suggesting that senior monks or NBO officials played a key role in the embezzlement, according to the source.

 

“They would pay out money first and ask that some portion of the amount be returned,” said the source.

 

Evidence gathered so far suggests some monks might have engaged in embezzlement on their own without the knowledge of others, the source added.

 

Regarding the case against Phra Khru Kittipatcharakhun, the monastic chief of Phetchabun’s Chon Daen district, the source said he had contacted more than 10 temples to hand out the funds and then asked that money be wired to his bank accounts.

 

The CCD is now planning to ask for the custody of four former senior monks, including the former abbot of Sa Ket Temple, because these four were also wanted in money-laundering cases it is investigating.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30347233

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-08

Two immigration officers face probe over Phra Prommethi’s escape

By Thai PBS

 

 

National police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda has ordered the Immigration Bureau to set up a committee to investigate two immigration officers based at Nakhon Phanom-Kammouen border checkpoint for allowing Phra Prommethi to leave the country for Laos on the night of May 24.

 

A well-informed police source said that the former assistant abbot of Wat Samphanthawong, Phra Prommethi, travelling in a van with a driver and his helpers, passed through the border checkpoint legally with the use of a passport at about 9.30 pm on the night of May 24.

 

The two immigration officers – one inspector and one deputy inspector – who allowed the senior monk to go through the checkpoint face charge of dereliction of duty.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/two-immigration-officers-face-probe-phra-prommethis-escape/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-06-08

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The monk – now known as Chamnong Dhammajari – has been stripped of all monastic ranks over allegations that he embezzled state funds for temples.

Stripped without any due process of law, based only on allegations. That might be in his favor in requesting a German visa in whatever form.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

the source said he had contacted more than 10 temples to hand out the funds and then asked that money be wired to his bank accounts.

Temples can't donate to other temples? 

Maybe Chamnong wanted to set up an ICU in the temple and didn't have enough funds. Or maybe a dozen other reasonable excuses.

Again, this action suggests "suspicion" of money laundering but hardly evidentiary (unless not all is being revealed to the Thai public but may be required by Germany) to be the sole basis to deny a visa.

I appreciate Thailand authorities being so committed to (Thai-style) rule of law. But outside of Thailand they need to adjust to Western-Style rule of law and sovereign rights of other nations. Junta's absolute police powers don't apply.

 

 

So, everybody happy! Now we once again have all the fish people in a crime. The big fish is missing, though! Where´s Dhammajari? Oooh! Sorry, forgot he´s on indefinite holiday in Germany.

Edited June 8, 20188 yr by Get Real

3 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Stripped without any due process of law, based only on allegations. That might be in his favor in requesting a German visa in whatever form.

Temples can't donate to other temples? 

Maybe Chamnong wanted to set up an ICU in the temple and didn't have enough funds. Or maybe a dozen other reasonable excuses.

Again, this action suggests "suspicion" of money laundering but hardly evidentiary (unless not all is being revealed to the Thai public but may be required by Germany) to be the sole basis to deny a visa.

I appreciate Thailand authorities being so committed to (Thai-style) rule of law. But outside of Thailand they need to adjust to Western-Style rule of law and sovereign rights of other nations. Junta's absolute police powers don't apply.

 

 

Stripped without due process of law? What law?

 

" The core of the monastic discipline is a list of rules called the Patimokkha. In the bhikkhu-patimokkha (for the monks) there are 227 rules, while in the bhikkhuni-patimokkha (for the nuns) there are 311 rules. The first four rules in the patimokkha, for both monks and nuns, are the four Parajika. The word parajika (in the ancient Indian language called Pali) is usually translated as 'making the doer defeated'. In effect it means that the offender MUST DISROBE. No ceremony or trial is required. From the instant the transgression is completed, the perpetrator automatically loses his or her status as a Buddhist monk or nun."

 

One of the four rules is "Stealing something of value".

 

You make him out to be some sort of Robin Hood, re-distributing the wealth.

...past tense....future tense....nothing for the immediate....555....

 

...the other kind of ....'big joke'....