DSI proposes defrocking Dhammakaya abbot

Late Supreme Patriarch's letter recommending Phra Dhammachayo be defrocked is legally binding, according to DSI. National Office of Buddhism asked to take action.

RELIGION

DSI proposes defrocking Dhammakaya abbot

Buddhism office risks dereliction of duty lawsuit
5/02/2016
King-oua Laohong & Dumrongkiat Mala

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is pressing the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) to take action against Wat Phra Dhammakaya's controversial abbot, Phra Dhammachayo, for allegedly violating the Buddhist monks' code of conduct or else it could face a dereliction of duty lawsuit.

DSI director-general Pol Col Paisit Wongmuang said Thursday the DSI inquired with the NOB whether it had made any progress in taking action against the abbot as suggested in a letter by the late Supreme Patriarch.

LATE SUPREME PATRIARCH'S LETTER LEGALLY BINDING

The late Supreme Patriarch's letter is legally binding, Pol Col Paisit aid. 

Pol Col Paisit said the NOB serves as secretary to the Sangha Supreme Council (SSC) and is the only state agency that works closely with the SSC.

The DSI wanted to know what action the NOB has taken in the case so far, he said.

NOB deputy director Chayapol Pongsida said Thursday the NOB has acknowledged the DSI's investigation.

Pol Col Paisit said the NOB's director, Phanom Sornsilp, has told the DSI he will issue a reply about the matter this month.

But if the NOB, as a state agency, fails to take action, it is liable to legal action, Pol Col Paisit said.

"If the NOB takes any action, it must explain this to the public to clear up any doubts," he said.

LATE SUPREME PATRIARCH'S LETTER

Pol Col Paisit cited a letter, dated April 26, 1999, and written by the late Supreme Patriarch, which recommended that Phra Dhammachayo be defrocked for violating the Buddhist monks' code of conduct by putting assets -- including 1,500 rai of land that belonged to the temple -- in his name.

The letter was sent to the SSC.

However, the SSC did not defrock the monk.

Instead, the council only ordered those concerned to force the monk to transfer the land in question to the temple.

The land ownership case was picked up by prosecutors and Phra Dhammachayo later agreed to turn over ownership of the land, and assets worth more than 900 million baht, to the temple in 2006.

Prosecutors withdrew the lawsuits against him in August 2006.

CLEARED OF DISTORTING BUDDHIST DOCTRINES

In February last year, the SSC cleared Phra Dhammachayo of allegations involving distorting Buddhist doctrines and embezzling plots of land and assets donated to Wat Phra Dhammakaya.

The allegations had again led to calls for the abbot to be defrocked.

The SSC asserted that Phra Dhammachayo was not guilty of violating the Buddhist monks' code of conduct because he had already returned the donated land to the temple.

The council concluded that Phra Dhammachayo did not intend to cheat the temple out of the land and assets, which meant he did not violate the Buddhist monks' code of conduct.

The SSC also ruled that Phra Dhammachayo did nothing that contravened the late Supreme Patriarch's view stated in his April 26, 1999 letter which stipulated that the land plots and assets he received when he was in the monkhood must belong to the temple.

CREDIT UNION EMBEZZLEMENT & LINKS TO WAT PHRA DHAMMAKAYA

The DSI also revealed progress in an investigation into the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative (KCUC) embezzlement case and its links to Wat Phra Dhammakaya.

Charges of money laundering will be brought against former KCUC chairman Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, a key suspect in the scandal, and recipients of 878 cheques worth 11.3 billion baht.

According to a DSI probe, a total of 21 cashier's cheques worth more than 1.2 billion baht each were paid to the temple and its monks, including abbot Phra Dhammachayo, from March 5, 2009 to Feb 15, 2011.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/852440/dsi-urges-action-against-abbot

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/149503

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