Former Buddhism Office boss to be charged in unusual wealth case

By The Nation

 

 

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has resolved to charge Phanom Sornsilp, former director of National Office of Buddhism (NOB), for being “unusually wealthy” with unexplained assets worth Bt216 million, and will shortly forward the case to public prosecutors for his indictment in the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Case, according to NACC secretary-general Worawit Sukboon.

 

Phanom was probed by the NACC after he became entangled in the temple funds embezzlement scandal linked to state grants to Ayutthaya’s Wat Phananchoeng during the fiscal years 2014-2015. A raid on his home by authorities found signs of unusual wealth.

 

The NACC checked the list of assets and debts, which Phanom and his spouse Nisa Sornsilp submitted before Phanom landed the position of NOB director in 2014, and found a large number of these assets were acquired between 2009 and 2018. The NACC then set up a sub-committee led by NACC commissioner Supa Piyajitti to probe the alleged unusual wealth of Phanom, which found that Phanom and his close entourage, children and relatives couldn’t provide legal provenance of eight assets worth Bt216,062,819.54.

 

These were Bt163,022,595.05 cash deposited in 16 different places; Bt22,470,000 of investments with eight institutes; seven plots of land worth Bt5,119,400 in Udon Thani province; two houses in Udon Thani and Nakhon Pathom worth Bt805,919 combined; three condominium units in Udon Thani and Nakhon Pathom worth Bt3,960,000; nine cars worth Bt4,931,200; four insurance policies worth a total of Bt828,489; and Bt14,925,216.49 in cash used to repay debts at four financial institutes.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30374391

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-07

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Phanom needs to make some serious merit to get out of this......he seems to have mis interpreted the teachings of the Lord Buddha......maybe he needs to get out and beg for food.

... or send the wife out to work!

Just say that your deceased friend gave it to you but you can't remember his name. I hear that's a watertight excuse in such matters. 

3 minutes ago, SammyT said:

Just say that your deceased friend gave it to you but you can't remember his name. I hear that's a watertight excuse in such matters. 

Does it work for all things besides watches or is that only if you are ex-military? 

 

Are they hiring ??

Obviously he took his vows seriously when he became a monk. Surprised he didn't own a Lear jet in case of emergencies !

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

Phanom needs to make some serious merit to get out of this......he seems to have mis interpreted the teachings of the Lord Buddha......maybe he needs to get out and beg for food.

All he's done is follow 'Thai Style' Buddhist rules like all the other scum criminals in high places !

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Phanom landed the position of NOB director in 2014

Blimey the mind boggles with that one ..

"two houses in Udon Thani and Nakhon Pathom worth Bt805,919 combined"

 

Not exactly living large, or his Buddy down the land office did him a solid.

how are the rolex watches doing?

Im not worried about millionaires becoming monks Im more worried about monks becoming millionaires

2 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

All he's done is follow 'Thai Style' Buddhist rules like all the other scum criminals in high places !

spot on.

I am waiting for the day the courts seize all their corrupt wealth and leave them bugger all so they are no longer hi so's, for some reason the courts never divest the family of their ill gotten gains.

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

Im not worried about millionaires becoming monks Im more worried about monks becoming millionaires

More the worry of ex junta politicians, now the Palang Pracharat Party becoming millionaires. Which they surely will.

obviously the Lord Buddha provided for this particular bureaucrat

Already taken 4 years to get to this point, another ten to get to final court, long gone.

 

I don't know why they call it unusual wealth. Surely coming into unexplained wealth without provenance is quite usual once you get into a position of power or authority 

 

15 hours ago, Cadbury said:

More the worry of ex junta politicians, now the Palang Pracharat Party becoming millionaires. Which they surely will.

millions is what most of them have already have attained.  Their next challenge is to turn it into billions in overseas accounts before this crowd of trough eaters are deposed by the next ones.  Mind you there has been examples set already as to how easy it is to get billions overseas so 2 years should be an achievable target for them.

21 hours ago, webfact said:

These were Bt163,022,595.05 cash deposited in 16 different places; Bt22,470,000 of investments with eight institutes; seven plots of land worth Bt5,119,400 in Udon Thani province; two houses in Udon Thani and Nakhon Pathom worth Bt805,919 combined; three condominium units in Udon Thani and Nakhon Pathom worth Bt3,960,000; nine cars worth Bt4,931,200; four insurance policies worth a total of Bt828,489; and Bt14,925,216.49 in cash used to repay debts at four financial institutes.

 

Surely the clue for Thai's should be that they constantly keep going to temples and rubbing gold leaf on a Buddha !

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has resolved to charge Phanom Sornsilp, former director of National Office of Buddhism (NOB), for being “unusually wealthy” with unexplained assets worth Bt216 million,

 

I truly hope that he never fails to do this TM whatever......

 

   It's obvious that he's a criminal, but they only hang the little ones.

16 hours ago, seajae said:

I am waiting for the day the courts seize all their corrupt wealth and leave them bugger all so they are no longer hi so's, for some reason the courts never divest the family of their ill gotten gains.

Difficult to get their assets when they have moved their assets abroad and live abroad most of the time.

now I understand why you see 20 million baht houses being bought and nobody lives in there...probably on a family member's name

 

on the flip side... some police involved person, big house, cars worth each 3-10 million baht at least with those crazy import taxs, even had a new ferrari for a while

Could this be the downfall of a Big NOB?

Nothing to see here, move along.