A National Reform Council (NRC) committee has vowed to push for a probe into an alleged conflict of interest in the Sangha Supreme Council (SSC) after it cleared the abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya of embezzlement allegations and stopped him from being defrocked.
The SSC on Friday cleared Phra Dhammachayo of distorting Buddhist doctrines and embezzling plots of land and assets donated to Wat Phra Dhammakaya.
The allegations had led to calls for the abbot to be defrocked.
Dhammachayo: Returned land, assets
Phra Phrom Methi, a member and spokesman of the SSC, and Somchai Surachatree, spokesman of the National Office of Buddhism (NOB), told the media about the SSC resolution after a meeting to discuss the case.
Acting Supreme Patriarch Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn also attended the meeting.
The two 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 ownership of the land plots and assets, worth about 900 million baht, was transferred to Wat Phra Dhammakaya in 2006, said the two spokespersons.
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, they said, citing the SSC resolution.
The SSC also ruled that Phra Dhammachayo did nothing that contravened the late supreme patriarch's view which he 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.
"Even though it took time, Phra Dhammachayo has returned all the assets," Phra Phrom Methi said.
Phra Phrom Methi also asked the media to stop trying to dig up more information on this matter, saying the problem was dealt with more than 17 years ago.
On Wednesday, the NRC committee said it was to push for action against Phra Dhammachayo, whom it said should have been defrocked years ago after the SSC acknowledged the late supreme patriarch's recommendation to do so.
Instead, the SSC at the time only ordered everyone concerned to force the monk to transfer the land to the temple. Phra Dhammachayo later agreed to turn over the land and assets, which led prosecutors to withdraw lawsuits against him in August 2006.
Paibul Nititawan, chairman of the NRC committee on Buddhism protection, said yesterday's SSC decision was wrong and it would have to face an investigation, especially members who have previously been accused of having close ties with Phra Dhammachayo and who might have a conflict of interest in the decision.
He said the committee will also request that state agencies including the Anti-Money Laundering Office look into how more than 800 million baht that was taken during the 12-billion-baht Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement scandal was allegedly donated to the temple and deposited in Phra Dhammachayo's bank accounts.
Another member of the NRC committee, Mano Lahawanich said the late supreme patriarch had clearly stated in three letters sent to the SSC that Phra Dhammachayo must be defrocked for the infringements he had committed and the SSC at that time acknowledged the letters on two occasions.
According to Mr Mano, who used to be a monk at Wat Phra Dhammakaya, the Office of the Attorney-General in August 2006 dropped the lawsuits filed against Phra Dhammachayo.
It was the first case of its kind in Thailand and no explanation was given as to why the cases were dropped, Mr Mano said.