Thai gov. to tax (remitted) income from abroad for tax residents starting 2024 - Part II

[webfact]

Ombudsman asks for action from prime minister on Wat Dhammakaya case



BANGKOK: -- The Office of the Ombudsman has proposed Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to exercise Section 44 of the interim constitution to appoint a committee to rule whether the former attorney general has legitimately performed his duty for not prosecuting the abbot of Wat Dhammakaya in signing a land purchase deal in 2006.

It also asked the prime minister to appoint another committee to rule whether the abbot has lost his monk status as had earlier been stated by the Supreme Patriarch.

The ombudsman’s proposal came after the abbot of Wat Ornoi in Nakhon Pathom, Phra Buddha-isara and the Network of Universities for national Reform president Mrs Wirangrong Dabbarangsee officially asked the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate after the Office of the Attorney-General dropped a case against Phra Thammachayo, abbot of Wat Dhammakaya after he was found guilty of using his name as owner of the land in the purchase deal.

Secretary-general of the Office of the Ombudsman Mr Raksagecha Chaechai said signing the land purchase deal using his name as owner of the land was an offence under the Buddhism Act although Phra Thammachayo would later relinquish his name as owner and return the land to the temple.

This would not help to spare him from the offence because the deal had been signed and he owned the land for seven years before this deal was surfaced, the ombudsman said.

He said his office has proposed the prime to exercise Section 44 to appoint a committee to investigate if the then attorney general’s decision not to bring charge against Phra Thammachayo was legitimate.

On the status of the abbot of Wat Dhammakaya, the ombudsman said investigation showed that the director of the National Office of Buddhism in his capacity as secretary general of the Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand has illegitimately performed his duty when he failed to raise the monk status of Phra Thammachayo at the meeting of the Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand to rule after the Supreme Patriarch had said the abbot had lost his monk status from the signing the land deal.

In this case the ombudsman said the statement of the Supreme Patriarch is law and all relevant Buddhism agencies must comply with his statement.

Failing to heed the statement of the Supreme Patriarch was tantamount to negligence of duties and violation of the Buddhism principles, the ombudsman said.

He added in this case, the office of the Ombudsman has also asked the prime minister to consider appointing another committee comprising both monk and layman to rule whether defying the statement of the Supreme Patriarch was against Buddhism principle, and whether the abbot of Wat Dhammakaya has lost his monk status on order of the Supreme Patriarch and must be defrocked or not.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/ombudsman-asks-for-action-from-prime-minister-on-wat-dhammakaya-case


-- Thai PBS 2015-07-21

[ChrisY1]

Oh goodness.........this is a non event that will eventuate in zero outcomes.......but keep spending money on panels and committees.....the temple and it's abbot and cohorts will continue "stealing" huge sums of money from the immature Thai community that seem to have blind faith in this place.......and at the end of it all...it will be business as usual!

[Srikcir]

The Office of the Ombudsman wants to resort to the Junta's absolute power to bring charges. No question there about the Office being an Independent Organization. It has become an operative of the Junta.

And this is where the CDC wants to relocate the National Human Rights Commission.

[FangFerang]

The PM is too busy taking single steps in the right direction and then stepping back.

I call it the Prayuth Shuffle--put your right foot in, take your right foot out, then put your right foot in... and shake it all about....

That's what it's all about.

[NongKhaiKid]

Is this the same Ombudsman who couldn't get an explanation from YL about the issue and personal delivery of a passport to her brother ?

If it is then at least he's used to the lack of action from on high and may not be too disappointed if there's no response.

[LannaGuy]

Phra Issara vs. Phra Thammachayo you couldn't make it up

Edited July 22, 2015 by LannaGuy

[halloween]

The Office of the Ombudsman wants to resort to the Junta's absolute power to bring charges. No question there about the Office being an Independent Organization. It has become an operative of the Junta.

And this is where the CDC wants to relocate the National Human Rights Commission.

Which leads to the obvious conclusion that the junta WANTS to wade into this quagmire. Why is that?