Buddhist monk arrested in suspected $3m embezzlement scandal

Phra Wachirayan Wi, ex‑abbade do proeminente templo Wat Phutthaisawan do século XIV na antiga capital de Ayutthaya, teria se apropriado de doações destinadas ao templo em mais de 20 ocasiões ao longo de dois anos.

In Thailand, Buddhist monks take a vow of celibacy and also renounce material possessions. He was defrocked after his arrest. He has yet to comment publicly.

The latest arrests come just over a year after another sex-and-blackmail case involving senior monks rocked Thailand's monastic community.

The 66-year-old was known for creating a highly-coveted coin amulet. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reportedly owns some of his creations.

A instituição budista da Tailândia tem sido há muito tempo assolada por relatos de monges que quebram seu voto de castidade, traficam drogas e cometem crimes financeiros.

Police on Friday said they identified two streams of money linked to donation receipts Phra Wachirayan had issued in the temple's name – one was meant for temple renovations, while the other was payment for amulets and other sacred objects.

But the money from both streams did not enter the temple's account. Not a single baht," lead police investigator Pattanasak Bupphasuwan told a news conference, according to reports.

Polícia encontrou dinheiro e barras de ouro no valor de mais de 100 milhões de baht enquanto invadiam a residência de Phra Wachirayan na quinta‑feira, com a contagem continuando até tarde da noite, informou a agência de notícias tailandesa The Nation.

While examining CCTV footage in the residence, police found a clip of him having sex with a woman on his dining table.

Authorities identified her as 47-year-old Punyavee Rungrueang, who has been arrested on charges of abetting a state official in illegal activities. She has yet to comment publicly.

Muitos monges na Tailândia recebem subsídios do governo e, portanto, são considerados funcionários públicos.

Police seized 35 gold amulets, along with about 1. 5kg of gold bars and jewellery, worth an estimated 6. 04 million baht, from Punyavee's home.

A polícia acredita que Punyavee ajudou Phra Wachirayan a administrar os lucros desviados, observando que dezenas de milhões de baht circulavam por suas contas bancárias a cada ano, relatou The Bangkok Post.

Investigators say they started looking into the case in mid July, after receiving an anonymous tip alleging Phra Wachirayan of misconduct and misuse of temple funds.

Two or three other people could be involved in the case, they say.

Em números

• Polícia encontrou dinheiro e barras de ouro no valor de mais de 100 milhões de baht enquanto invadiam a residência de Phra Wa