The Thai police have arrested a Buddhist monk for allegations, which he had more than $ 9 million out of the prominent temple, which was financed by donations from supporters.
The investigators of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) accuse Abbot Phra Thammachiranuwat of Wat Rai Khing, more than 300 million baht (9.05 million US dollars) from the temple’s bank account into his own bank account of the temple.
The investigators pursued funds from the temple on the western outskirts of Bangkok to an illegal online gambling network that Baccarat card games are running, according to the local media.
Temple in the Buddhist majority Thailand rely on the income of “earning ceremonies”, in which other berry will use donations to gain happiness and better reincarnation.
The police accused Phra Thammachiranuwat for corruption and misconduct, said the deputy commissioner of CIB, Jaroonkiat Pankaew, at a press conference on Thursday.
“This (arrest) should help clean our religion,” said Jaroonkiat.
The authorities arrested a second suspect and examined whether others were involved, while the local media reported that the Abbot has now left the monks.
Wat Rai Khing, which was assumed that it was founded in 1851, houses a replica of the Buddha’s footprint.
Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images
The arrest of one of the most famous temples of the suburbs in Bangkok has triggered considerable counter -reactions on social media.
“Next time I donate to a hospital or school for good reasons, not for a temple,” wrote a user on social media.
Others warned their fellow Buddhists to remain in their beliefs.
“Not all monks are bad. They don’t generalize themselves,” wrote another social media user.
Buddhist temples in Thailand previously made headlines for unusual reasons. Last November, the Thai police initiated an investigation by a Buddhist monastery by authorities discovered 41 bodies on site that were allegedly used for meditation practices.
In 2022, each monk was decided in a Buddhist temple in Central -Thailand after she positively tested For methamphetamine. The monks were sent to a health clinic to undergo drug rehabilitation.
