The 72-year-old monk, who was “seriously ill” remains at the temple, which he founded almost 50 years ago, and wishes to pass away there, Phra Sanidwong Wuttiwangso, the temple’s communications office director, told a press conference yesterday.

Phra Sanidwong insisted the abbot could not travel due to eight illnesses and he did not have a passport or a permanent visa to the US.

Regarding the reported move by some disciples to gather 100,000 signatures to petition US President Barack Obama for help, he said the campaign was carried out by US-based disciples who were US citizens. They could not stand the injustice and unfair treatment by Thailand’s state officers to Phra Dhammachayo so they wanted to petition their country’s leader.

Signature campaign

The campaign information emerged as Phra Noppadol Siriwangso, a well-known monk of Dhammakaya Temple, posted on his Facebook page a call for disciples to gather up to 100,000 signatures on the White House website by June 17 to ask Obama and team for help.

Phra Sanidwong said the abbot suffered from diabetes, chronic deep venous thrombosis on the left leg, infected wounds, allergy as well as acute dizziness, issues with body balance, back pain and inflammation of a left leg tissue.

Hence a team of doctors had advised him to rest for at least two months. That is the reason he could not answer summons to hear charges against him, Phra Sanidwong said.

He also explained that the medical certificate by Ratchaburi-based Fort Phanurangsi Hospital to back the monk’s claim of illness was issued after a doctor from the hospital examined the monk at the temple.

He said it was possible to issue a medical certificate to a patient treated outside the hospital.

Phra Dhammachayo has run into legal trouble in the wake of the embezzlement scandal at the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative.

Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, the disgraced former executive of the cooperative, had given the abbot a huge sum that in fact belonged to the cooperative. The temple said it thought the money was just donations.

Supachai faces more than 10 legal cases in connection with the scandal and has already been found guilty in some of them.

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) summoned Phra Dhammachayo in relation to his alleged role in the case several times, but he has not shown up in person so far.

Only his legal team has met the DSI, claiming the abbot was too ill to answer the summons.

Last Monday, the Criminal Court approved an arrest warrant for the abbot and the DSI’s latest summons required him to acknowledge the charges of money laundering and accepting ill-gotten gains on Thursday.