THE DEPARTMENT of Special Investigation (DSI) has put together a team to go to Wat Phra Dhammakaya in Pathum Thani province and arrest its abbot Phra Dhammachayo if he fails to show up tomorrow to face charges of money laundering and ill-gotten gains, a source said yesterday.

The DSI source said the department’s officials and investigators had met with a special case operations team to plan possible measures to arrest the abbot in line with an arrest warrant issued last Wednesday.

The DSI will not allow bail release as the monk is deemed a flight risk. However, the monk would be taken to Criminal Court for detention application, and it would be up to the court to decide if he should be granted bail, the source added.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court yesterday rejected an objection from the abbot’s legal team to the May 18 arrest warrant on charges of money laundering.

The warrant was issued legally and there was no legitimate cause to change or cancel it, the court said. The monk’s lawyer still has 30 days to appeal.

Separately, Justice Minister General Paiboon Koomchaya yesterday confirmed that DSI investigators should not be afraid of informing the abbot of the new charges, because they have acted within the realm of their duty.

Since many are worried that the situation might escalate after the abbot, claiming to be seriously ill, had refused to meet DSI officials, Paiboon said yesterday that the justice system should be used honestly and the monk should fight the accusations as per the rule of law.

“In the end, the justice procedure would yield answers to all questions. If Phra Dhammachayo submits a case with the court, we will all have to respect that, and when the court issues an arrest warrant, the DSI needs to take steps accordingly,” Paiboon explained. He added that the monk’s medical certificate, which had reportedly been issued without a Ratchaburi-based hospital’s knowledge, would also be investigated in detail.

“The investigators should not fear anything because they are within their authority. If necessary, they will have to go to the temple [to inform the abbot of the charges], but if they are afraid or reluctant to go, I think that would be wrong. I don’t think they [the abbot’s followers], would do anything to obstruct the officials from doing their duty, as that would only lead to more complications,” he added.