Police will summon the younger sister of telecoms tycoon Boonchai Bencharongkul to acknowledge a money laundering charge on Oct 4, in connection to the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative (KCUC) embezzlement scandal.
Wanna Jirakitti serves as president of the Khun Yay Maharatana Upasika Chandra Khonnokyoong Foundation, which was said to have received money from former KCUC chairman, Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, who was jailed in 2016 for siphoning off 22.1 million baht from the KCUC and allegedly embezzling billions more.
Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Pol Col Paisit Wongmuang said on Monday the money trail is clearly linked with the foundation.
A DSI source said Supachai signed 27 cheques worth 1.45 billion baht that were given to the foundation and Phra Dhammajayo, the former abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya.
Investigators have requested the foundation to submit documents to clarify its transactions, the source said, adding the foundation's secretary-general would also be summoned to acknowledge the charge.
The cheques were used to purchase various land plots in the provinces and the DSI has pressed charges against those involved, the source said.
Investigators are examining the money trail of the case, which also involves property tycoon Anant Asavabhokhin and his daughter, Alisa, the source noted.
Supachai is suspected of using part of the 12 billion baht he embezzled to buy eight parcels of land in Pathum Thani's Klong Luang district, before reselling them to Ms Alisa for 298 million baht.
After the sale, Supachai did not return any money to the cooperative, the DSI investigators found.
Mr Anant has also been accused by the DSI of laundering money through a land purchase scheme, in which the land that was to be donated to Wat Phra Dhammakaya ended up under his ownership instead.
