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Thai court rejects ex-monks’ bail pleas


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Court rejects ex-monks’ bail pleas

By KESINEE TANGKHIEO 
THE NATION

 

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File photo: Thongchai Sukayano, who was previously known as Phra Phromsitti.

 

Suspects accused of well organised crime that involved huge sums, hurt image of Buddhism.
 

THE CRIMINAL Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases yesterday rejected bail requests for five former senior monks and their three alleged accomplices in a big corruption scandal. 

 

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File photo

 

At the centre of the scandal are the Sa Ket temple’s former abbot, Thongchai Sukayano, who was previously known as Phra Phromsitti, and four former assistant abbots. Also implicated are three civilians, who were found to have suspiciously received funds from the temple. 

 

Public prosecutors submitted their case to court yesterday. 

 

Upon showing up at the court, the eight defendants tried to seek temporary release but their request was turned down on grounds that their alleged crime was well-organised, they had stolen huge amounts from the state budget and had hurt the image of Buddhism. 

 

“Their [alleged] crimes are grave and will carry heavy punishment,” the court said, adding that there were also grounds to believe that the defendants would flee if granted bail. 

 

Before the allegations emerged, Phra Phromsitti was a powerful and much-respected monk in the country. Not only did he lead a Royal temple in Bangkok, but was also chief of the Monastic Region 10, chairman of the Dhammaduta Office and member of the Sangha Supreme Council (SSC). 

 

The accused monks had to give up their saffron robes when they were taken to prison pending investigation into their alleged crimes. 

Wat Sa Ket is not the only temple under investigation. 

 

The authorities have started to seriously look into state-provided funds to temples, after a temple in the South reported that a senior official of the National Buddhism Office (NBO) had asked for a kickback. 

 

Yesterday, public prosecutors forwarded a corruption case involving Euan Klinsalee, another former member of the SSC. 

 

Euan used to be widely known as Phra Phromdilok. Before he was hit with corruption charges, Euan was the powerful abbot of Bangkok’s Sam Phraya Temple and monastic chief in the capital. Also implicated in this case was his secretary – now also a former monk. These defendants did not apply for bail release when they were taken to the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct yesterday. 

 

The only former monk granted bail in a corruption case was Somkiat Khanthong – the former abbot of Lad Khae Temple in Phetchabun province. Though he was denied temporary release during the interrogation process, his bail request was granted when his case went to court. 

 

Somkiat, formerly Phra Khri Kitti Patcharakhun, is accused of collaborating with Nopparat Benjawatananun, a former director of the NBO, in embezzling state funds. Nopparat is on the run, like the NBO’s former deputy director Pranom Kongpikul. 

 

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Panom Sornsilp

 

Panom Sornsilp, another former director of the NBO, is in detention over corruption charges. He was nabbed this month. 

 

Damages from alleged temple-fund embezzlements are estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of baht. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30352238

 
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-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-08-16
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6 minutes ago, webfact said:

Upon showing up at the court, the eight defendants tried to seek temporary release but their request was turned down on grounds that their alleged crime was well-organised, they had stolen huge amounts from the state budget and had hurt the image of Buddhism. 

This was an obvious decision to deny bail. That said, I am still amazed that they did so; I just assumed that these people would be allowed to do a runner.

 

I am far too cynical to think that this is simply a case where the justice system is acting properly (it never seems to, why would this case be different?), so the question must be asked; what exactly is occurring here? Is this a purge so that the military can replace temple heads with their own supporters?

 

It is a sad commentary on my part, but as one who follows the news in Thailand, the idea that things might simply be working as they should isn't really a viable option.

 

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The fundamental thing in all cases regarding fraud or any other criminality in Thailand. Is not the they are refused bail or that this is criminal activities that only exists in Thailand. There is criminality, criminal individuals and frauds as well as murder and other activities everywhere on the planet. That is a part where it´s impossible to stop, and it will always exist.

However, normal criminals normally admitts that they are guilty, and also know deep inside that they have made somthing wrong. May it be stealing, fraud or even murder, they will still know it was wrong and truly admitt and also in many ways show repent.

That is never the case with the people in Thailand. Here there is a totally idiotic tradition of something called "loss of face" that always prevent a person to truly own up to either responsibility or guilt. They truly walk around and inside themself believe that everybody else are wrong and that they never do anythying wrong or that it can´t be possible that they are a bad person. That is how this society is buildt from the core and as a result of that children of today are thought to grow up and never own up to responsibility for anything that happens in their life.

That is why this is never going to stop, and why the rotten behaviour will always stay in the spinal core of the criminals of this country.

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3 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

This was an obvious decision to deny bail. That said, I am still amazed that they did so; I just assumed that these people would be allowed to do a runner.

 

I am far too cynical to think that this is simply a case where the justice system is acting properly (it never seems to, why would this case be different?), so the question must be asked; what exactly is occurring here? Is this a purge so that the military can replace temple heads with their own supporters?

 

It is a sad commentary on my part, but as one who follows the news in Thailand, the idea that things might simply be working as they should isn't really a viable option.

 

I think these decisions on who is allowed to run and who's not are selective. This case is not politically sensitive and it makes the government look determined to fight corruption and it appears the government cares about Thai Buddhism. Therefore this case gets to be prosecuted correctly which also makes the justice system look good. 3 positives and no negatives for the government, it's a PM's wet dream before an election. 

But, that's just my cynicism speaking...

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the case is politically motivated.

government is after dhammakaya sect, which is aligned to reds. Those abbots were associated  with dhammakaya.

budha issara, charged with lesse majeste, freud, abduction and torture police officers during bangkok shutdown was arrested the same day as them, but released without any charge today 

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