Thai Monk Arrested for Alleged Embezzlement of $3 Million
Phra Wachirayan Wi, the former abbot of Wat Phutthaisawan temple, was arrested on charges of embezzling approximately $3 million. A 47-year-old woman, Punyavee Rungrueang, was also detained in connection with the case.
Sources
Phra Wachirayan Wi, a 66-year-old abbot of the Wat Phutthaisawan temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand, was arrested on suspicion of embezzling approximately $2.8 million intended for the monastery and was found with a 47-year-old woman filmed in a compromising situation. Police discovered that roughly 89 million baht ($2.7 million) meant for renovations and 2.8 million baht for religious items did not reach the temple's accounts, leading to further investigation into the misuse of funds and the seizure of assets valued at about 215 million baht, including 16 kg of gold bars. This incident follows a previous scandal involving the clergy that generated public outcry, prompting calls for increased oversight of temple finances.
Thai police arrested former abbot Phra Wachirayan Wi and a 47-year-old woman, Punyavee Rungrueang, for allegedly embezzling 100 million baht ($3 million) from the Wat Phutthaisawan monastery, where donations were misappropriated on over 20 occasions. During a raid, authorities seized cash and gold bars exceeding 100 million baht, and found CCTV footage of the monk involved in sexual activity with Rungrueang. The investigation, prompted by an anonymous tip, suggests the involvement of two or three additional individuals in the embezzlement scheme.