Monk who renounced material possessions and took a vow of celibacy ’embezzled £2.2m and had sex on monastery table’
Derobed: Police officers escort Buddhist monk Phra Wachirayan Wi (AFP)
Police investigating a Buddhist monk accused of embezzling millions in donations discovered footage of him having sex in his Thai monastery.
Phra Wachirayan Wi, 66, who had renounced material possessions and taken a vow of celibacy, has been arrested after allegedly pocketing 100million baht (£2.2million) in donations over two years.
Thai police allegedly discovered gold bars, 35 gold amulets and jewellery in a raid on the monk’s home.
Seized assets: Gold, jewellery, watches and stacks of banknotes were found by cops (AFP)
In their investigation they also found CCTV footage of Phra Wachirayan having sex with a woman on his dining table.
Phra Wachirayan, who was abbot of the 14th-century Wat Phutthaisawan in Ayutthaya, has been derobed for violating his vows.
It is alleged he conducted a scam by issuing receipts for temple renovations and payments for amulets and other sacred objects in the temple’s name.
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Pattanasak Bupphasuwan, the lead police investigator, told a news conference: ‘The money from both streams did not enter the temple’s account. Not a single baht.’
The woman he allegedly had intercourse with, 47-year-old Punyavee Rungrueang, was arrested on charges of abetting a state official in illegal activities.
The Bangkok Post reported she is suspected of being involved in the scam.
The case is the latest scandal to hit the Buddhist clergy in Thailand after a sex and extortion case involving senior monks last year prompted public outrage.
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