Police yesterday seized a house believed to have been purchased with money linked to the temple funds embezzlement scandal.
Nopparat: On the run since last year
It is thought to be owned by Nopparat Benjawatananun, a former director of the National Office of Buddhism (NOB), who is a prime suspect in the scandal and still on the run.
He is thought to have registered it in the name of his daughter as his "nominee".
The operation was carried out by a combined force of more than 20 officials from the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) and the Counter-Corruption Division (CCD) at the Grand Bangkok Boulevard Sathon-Pinklao housing project in Taling Chan district.
Romsit Weeriyasan, acting secretary-general of the Amlo, said the house was purchased in 2013 for 49 million baht, while Mr Nopparat and the other accomplices were allegedly involved in the temple fund embezzlement between 2012 and 2016.
Documents such as business cards and other items of evidence seized during the raid suggested Mr Nopparat lived in the house before he had fled the country about a year ago, said Pol Maj Gen Romsit.
Most valuables had been moved out before the raid, though three safes were found, which were seized for inspection.
A source familiar with the raid said several important documents linked to the temple funds embezzlement and pointing to Mr Nopparat's ownership of the house were found in the safes, along with several amulets.
Amlo's transaction inspection committee had previously decided to seize and freeze 33 assets owned by nine suspects including Mr Nopparat, said Pol Maj Gen Romsit, adding they have a combined value of more than 71 million baht.
Amlo, however, believes there still are more assets that need to be inspected in connection with the suspects and the temple funds scandal, he said.
The value of these assets may range from 100 million baht to 1 billion baht, he said.
The source also revealed police summons were being issued for the nine suspects named in the first part of the investigation to come in for questioning.
The suspects are Mr Nopparat; Wasawas Kittithirasit, director of the NOB's section on temple development and renovation and religion support; Pranom Khongphikul, a NOB deputy director; Natthawadi Tantayawilas, an NOB academic; Siwaroj Piyarattanaseri; Chomphunuch Chanluechai; Ubol Disduang; Thannaphat Muangthong and Phra Sutthiphong Sutthiwangso, the abbot of a Thai Buddhist temple in Denmark, according to the source.
A total of 12 temples are facing probes in this part of the investigation and the total loss caused by the alleged embezzlement of funds allocated to these temples is estimated to be at least 62 million baht.
In the second part of the investigation into the temple fund embezzlement, Amlo plans to file a compliant with the CCD next week against 23 temples.
The estimated loss caused by alleged fund embezzlement at these temples between 2012 and 2017 is 141 million baht.
On Sept 21, raids were carried out at 14 spots in Nakhon Pathom province as part of this second part of the investigation.
