Wat Phra Dhammakaya's abbot Phra Dhammachayo was among several people who may have played a key role in the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative (KCUC) embezzlement scandal, says the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).
Pol Lt Col Pakorn Sucheevakun, director of the Bureau of Financial and Banking Crime, leads the DSI team investigating the scandal and its links to the temple.
He said 21 cashier cheques worth more than 1.2 billion baht each were paid to the temple, its monks and its foundation for Buddhist nuns from March 5, 2009 to Feb 15, 2011.
All the cheques were paid by the cooperative and authorised by former KCUC chairman Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, a key suspect in the scandal.
Pol Lt Col Pakorn said investigators believed this indicated the suspects' intentions to collude with Mr Supachai to siphon money from the cooperative's accounts.
Phra Dhammachayo, also known as Phra Thepyanmahamuni, and the remaining suspects face charges of money laundering, theft, corruption and dereliction of duty.
Wat Dhammakaya's media relations officer Phra Sanitwong Wuttiwangso did not return calls seeking the temple's comments, but one of his assistants told the Bangkok Post: "We have nothing to say except 'let justice run its course'. "
Pol Lt Col Pakorn said the DSI will wrap up the investigation and forward its findings to public prosecutors next week.
Charges may be filed against more suspects depending on the prosecutors' consideration of the DSI's investigation findings, he added.
In March, the DSI revealed it had investigated 878 cheques worth 11.3 billion baht paid by the cooperative and authorised by Mr Supachai.
Of these cheques, 43 were worth 932 million baht and were paid to Wat Phra Dhammakaya and its monks, including abbot Phra Dhammachayo.
In addition, 27 cheques worth 348 million baht were paid to temple followers with close ties to Mr Supachai.
This included 12 cheques worth 272 million baht paid to ex-Wat Phra Dhammakaya monk Sataporn Wattanasirikul and his SW Holding Group, and three worth 46 million baht paid to the Mongkol Setthi Credit Union Cooperative, which was founded by Mr Supachai.
