Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya has insisted an investigation into the criminal aspects of the 12-billion-baht Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement scandal must continue even though Wat Phra Dhammakaya has agreed to return most of the money it owes.
The Returned: One of the post-dated cheques delivered Monday from Wat Phra Dhammakaya followers.
Gen Paiboon said the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) must complete the embezzlement probe.
The minister made the comment after followers of Wat Phra Dhammakaya yesterday reached an out-of-court settlement to pay back 684 million baht to the cooperative, in exchange for the dropping of lawsuits against the temple and its abbot Phra Dhammachayo.
The cooperative had filed civil suits against Wat Phra Dhammakaya and its abbot and demanded 814 million baht which the cooperative's ex-chairman, Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, allegedly embezzled from the union and donated to the temple and abbot.
But as part of the agreement between the two sides, civil and criminal suits will be dropped.
However, the embezzlement case has been accepted for investigation by the DSI.
Prapassorn Pongpanpisal, secretary of the union's Rehabilitation Implementation Committee, and temple lawyer Samphan Sermcheep, reached the settlement yesterday at Thanyaburi Provincial Court.
- Negotiated deal: Temple replayment deal carefully written
After the negotiations, Ms Prapassorn said the followers of Wat Phra Dhammakaya and Phra Dhammachayo agreed to return 684 million baht through a special fund mobilised to help affected members of the credit union.
The payments will be made in monthly installments of 100 million baht each.
The first cheque was dated yesterday, March 16, 2015, and 100 million baht cheques will be issued each month with the last one being for 184.78 million baht.
Ms Prapassorn said the credit union will write to inform the DSI and the Anti-Money Laundering Office of the repayment agreement in exchange for the dropping of criminal and civil cases against the temple and its abbot.
However, she said the credit union will continue to pursue a separate case seeking the repayment of another 130 million baht from Mr Supachai. The case will not be withdrawn until an agreement is reached on the money's return, Ms Prapassorn said.
She added the repayment of the 684 billion baht will be part of a plan to rehabilitate the cooperative and help members.
Samphan Sermcheep, Wat Phra Dhammakaya's lawyer, said the temple's followers sympathised with the affected members of the cooperative and raised the funds to ease their plight.
Thapanawat Srasom, the credit union's lawyer, went to the DSI yesterday to withdraw the civil and criminal lawsuits against Wat Phra Dhammakaya and Phra Dhammachayo.
But Somboon Sarasit, chief of the DSI's Criminal Case Division, said the embezzlement is a criminal case which cannot be dropped despite an agreement between the conflicting parties so the DSI will continue to pursue it. However, the agency's investigation would take the "intentions" of the involved parties into account.
DSI spokesman Pol Lt Col Woranan Srilam said yesterday the DSI will continue its probe to identify who was involved in the scandal.
Currently, the DSI has taken up three special cases relating to the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative.
A criminal case was filed by the cooperative accusing Mr Supachai of embezzling about 12 billion baht. The second case was filed by a group of 27 cooperative members who accuse Mr Supachai of fraud and embezzlement.
In the third case, Lat Phrao police forwarded a case accusing Mr Supachai and his accomplices of embezzling 27 million baht.
On March 6, the DSI revealed it had investigated 878 cheques worth 11.3 billion baht paid by the cooperative and authorised by Mr Supachai.
Of them, 43 were worth 932 million baht and were paid to Wat Phra Dhammakaya and the temple's monks, including the abbot, Phra Dhammachayo.
In addition, 27 cheques worth 348 million baht were paid to temple followers close to Mr Supachai, including 12 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 Mongkol Setthi Credit Union Cooperative founded by Mr Supachai.
Executives of the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative cheer after receiving cheques totalling 684 million baht from Wat Phra Dhammakaya followers - less than 6% of the money embezzled from the firm. (Photo by Narupon Hinshiranan)
