A senior Buddhist monk has sparked outrage in Thailand after he was caught having sex with a woman on CCTV and accused of embezzling £2million intended for his monastery.
The case is the latest scandal to hit the clergy in the Buddhist-majority nation, after a sex and extortion case involving senior monks last year prompted public outrage and calls for greater scrutiny of temple finances.
Footage showing Phra Wachirayan Wi, the 66-year-old abbot of the 14th-century temple Wat Phutthaisawan in the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, having sex on a table in his residence was widely broadcast on Thai media.
In Thailand, Buddhist monks take a vow of celibacy and also renounce material possessions.
He was arrested on Thursday on charges including embezzlement and money laundering, according to lead police investigator Pattanasak Bupphasuwan, alongside the 47-year-old woman he was caught having sex with.
She has been accused of helping convert and conceal the money.
Police began investigating Phra Wachirayan in mid-July after receiving an anonymous tip accusing him of misconduct and misuse of temple funds.
Pattanasak, commander of the police Crime Suppression Division, said investigators identified two streams of money linked to donation receipts issued in the temple’s name.
Video grab from leaked CCTV shows senior Buddhist monk Phra Wachirayan having sex with a woman
Phra Wachirayan Wi (pictured) has been arrested on suspicion of embezzling £2million for his monastery, alongside a suspected female accomplice he was caught having sex with
Some 89 million baht, or £2million, was donated for temple renovations, with another 2.8 million baht, or £63,000, in payments for Buddhist amulets and other sacred objects, he said.
‘But the money from both streams did not enter the temple’s account – not a single baht,’ Pattanasak told a news conference on Friday.
He said authorities had seized assets worth about 215 million baht, or £4.8million, including 16 kg of gold bars and jewellery and 28 land title deeds.
Police are investigating which were personal property and which belonged to the temple.
‘We will expand the investigation to identify other people involved and restore public confidence in Buddhism,’ said Central Investigation Bureau commissioner Nattasak Chaowanasai.
Wat Phutthaisawan is a prominent royal monastery with a large following that includes government officials, businesspeople, police and military personnel.
The former abbot, also known as Luang Pho Atichot, was well known for making amulets, with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reported to be among those who wore his creations.
The abbot was defrocked shortly after his arrest. He has yet to comment.
Pictured: Monk Phra Wachirayan is escorted by police following his arrest on Thursday
The scandal comes a year after police arrested a woman accused of blackmailing at least 11 monks she had sex with, extorting nearly $12 million of monastery funds from them, in a case that shook Thailand.
Also last year, a Thai Buddhist monk famed for establishing a hospice for people with HIV/AIDS was arrested over allegations of misusing donations for the project.
Luang Phor Alongkot, also known as Phra Ratcha Wisutthiprachanat, was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement, dereliction of duty and money laundering.
A second person, Seksan Sapsubbsakul, who served as a fundraiser for the project, was also detained.
Alongkot, 65, was forced to disrobe when he was taken on Tuesday to the Bangkok headquarters of the police Crime Suppression Bureau, as required before monks can formally be charged.
He denied any wrongdoing.
