Former temple abbot sentenced to jail for embezzlement
A former temple abbot was sentenced to 50 years in jail for embezzling funds from Wat Rai Khing in Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand.
74-year-old former abbot, known as Tid Yaem, and his four accomplices had jointly laundered over 2 billion baht (S$79 million) from the temple between 15 March 2021 and 16 Sept 2024.
On 21 April, their first-instance verdicts were read at the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases in Taling Chan.
Source: Vanguard
Money reportedly used for online gambling
According to Matichon, an investigation revealed that Tid Yaem authorised temple employees to withdraw money from the temple’s bank account and transfer it to his own.
This was done 20 times, and the money embezzled totalled just over 28 million baht (S$1.1 million).
Tid Yaem sometimes transferred money to his close female accomplice, an online gambling agent named Sika Ken.
Source: Matichon
At other times, he transferred the money to the other defendants, including a former monk.
The money was reportedly used for online gambling, CH7 News reported.
Three accomplices get eight years in jail
All five defendants were ordered to jointly pay the 28,050,000 baht (S$1.1 million) they had embezzled.
Sika Ken and two other defendants, including the former monk, were each sentenced to eight years in jail.
Meanwhile, the fifth defendant, who managed the temple’s rental properties and coffee shop business, was acquitted.
The Anti-Money Laundering Office has seized hundreds of assets related to this case.
This includes land, luxury cars, and jewellery totalling over 400 million baht (S$15.8 million), to be returned to the temple.
Abbot initially believed to have embezzled almost S$12 million
Last May, Tid Yaem was reportedly found to have embezzled 300 million baht (S$11.8 million).
His bank account was also said to be tied to an online gambling network, losses and winnings estimated at no less than 500 million baht (S$19.7 million).
When the temple’s money began to dwindle, the abbot reportedly borrowed up to millions of baht from senior monks from other temples.
Also read: Thai abbot arrested over alleged embezzlement of S$11.7M for online gambling
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Featured image from Banmuang, Google Maps.
