BANGKOK (AP) – Seven monks are among nine suspects who are being held in pretrial detention after being arrested for allegedly embezzling assets worth about THB300 million (USD8.9 million) from donations received by a temple in Thailand, authorities said on Thursday.
The Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases said the actions of the ringleaders in the case “gravely undermined” the religious institution.
Five monks and a driver were sent to pretrial detention on Thursday, according to a statement from the court in Bangkok. They were arrested at Wat Pa Thammakhiri when police conducted a raid on Tuesday and uncovered property worth about THB100 million (USD2.9 million) allegedly hidden by the suspects.
Cash, jewellery and amulets were found in many spots, including the monks’ private quarters, police said. Some items were buried.
The first arrests in the case occurred last Friday, when police took into custody the temple abbot and a famous monk, Kom Kongkaew, who were accused of stealing over THB180 million (USD5.3 million) of the temple’s money.
