Thai police arrest Buddhist abbot on suspicion of embezzling $2.8m
Summary
Thai police arrested a senior Buddhist monk for allegedly stealing $2.8 million meant for his temple. The case also involves a woman accused of helping him hide the money, and videos of them breaking monk celibacy rules have been shown in the media.Key Facts
- The arrested monk is Phra Wachirayan Wi, 66, abbot of Wat Phutthaisawan temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand.
- He faces charges of embezzlement and money laundering.
- A 47-year-old woman accused of helping him was also arrested.
- CCTV footage of the monk and woman having sex surfaced in Thai media, violating monk celibacy vows.
- Police found donated money of about 89 million baht ($2.7 million) for temple renovations and 2.8 million baht from sales of amulets was never deposited into the temple’s accounts.
- Authorities seized assets worth about 215 million baht, including gold bars, jewelry, watches, and land deeds.
- Police plan to continue investigating others involved to restore trust in Thai Buddhism.
- The monk was defrocked (removed from his religious position) after the arrest.
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