WAT Paknam’s legal team has pointed a finger of suspicion at a garage for the illegal classic Mercedes-Benz that was found in possession of the acting Supreme Patriarch.

Supapat Nitisathorn, who works in the team, said yesterday that the senior monk could never have known that the vehicle was illegal because Wat Paknam’s assistant abbot, Phra Maha Satsanamunee, had fully entrusted the business – Wicharn Garage – with the mission of delivering an antique car for the temple’s museum.

The temple’s abbot, Somdej Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn (Somdej Chuang), is currently the acting Supreme Patriarch.

Wicharn Rattaphana, who owns the garage, meanwhile, has insisted that he is responsible for car assembly only and that all the forged documentation mentioned in the case was in no way related to him.

Yesterday, Kanjana Markmuan told the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) that her name had been falsely cited as the person paying excise duty for the beautiful Mercedes-Benz, which was now on display at Wat Paknam.

“I’d never known anything about this vehicle until it appeared at the centre of a scandal and my name was implicated,” she said.

She demanded that the DSI take action against the person who had used her name and her garage’s documents in illegal activities.

The DSI has already concluded that the Mercedes-Benz registered under Somdej Chuang’s name is illegal because its import, assembly, excise-duty payment and vehicle registration process was mired with activities suggestive of lawbreaking.

There are grounds to believe that the process might have engaged in customs evasion, document forgery, and perjury, among other things, the agency said.

“We will summon those involved in the process,” DSI director-general Paisit Wongmuang said yesterday.

The DSI will also seek to meet and get information directly from Somdej Chuang. “So far, I’ve heard that Somdej Chuang doesn’t want to keep this problematic Mercedes-Benz anymore,” Paisit added.

He said by handing over the vehicle to authorities, customs-related charges could be immediately dropped. Legal proceedings will go ahead related to alleged criminal offences, such as forgery.

Wicharn told the DSI yesterday that his garage had not engaged in document preparation in any way, because it was solely responsible for car assembly.

“But I admit that my garage doesn’t have a car-assembly licence,” he said, adding, “I hire just four or five workers.” Wicharn also lamented that if he had known that this classic car would land him in such trouble, he would have never accepted the order to assemble it. “Initially, I saw this job as an honour in my life, because the car would belong to a high-ranking monk,” he said.

After the Merdeces-Benz was delivered to Wat Paknam, he met Somdej Chuang just once, he added.

Supapat said Phra Maha Satsanamunee usually used Wicharn Garage’s services for Wat Paknam’s vehicles, and therefore had entrusted Wicharn with the mission of getting the classic Mercedes-Benz.

“The money for the vehicle comes from donors. The vehicle is meant to be sent to a museum,” he explained.

Finance Ministry permanent secretary Somchai Sujjapongse said his ministry would be ready to provide information to the DSI to facilitate the investigation into the Mercedes-Benz. “If any of the ministry’s officials are involved in the wrongdoing, we will take action against them, too,” he said.

Under the Excise Act, owners of illegally imported cars who cannot prove if excise tax had been paid, could face criminal charges, according to a source from the Finance Ministry.

Those found guilty face a maximum six months in jail.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam yesterday said the Mercedes-Benz case had complicated the ongoing conflict about the next Supreme Patriarch.

Two rival camps of monks and Buddhists have recently come forward to express different views about Somdej Chuang’s suitability as the country’s next top monk.

Even though the Sangha Supreme Council has nominated Chuang for the post, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has not yet forwarded the nomination for royal endorsement.