JUSTICE MINISTER Paiboon Koomchaya yesterday denounced the campaign by followers of Phra Dhammachayo, the embattled abbot of Dhammakaya Temple who is facing charges involved with dirty money, to claim that the senior monk was being unfairly treated.

“I disagree with those people talking to the media with distorted facts. They don’t know the full story,” he said.

The case against the monk was a follow-up to the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement scandal and authorities were not just singling out one suspect, he said.

“In fact, this case involves not just Phra Dhammachayo, but also some 20 others. If you spare him, you have to do the same to the others. How can we enforce the law then?”

Authorities would be accused of dereliction of duty if they failed to take action against the monk, he said.

Supachai Sriaupa-aksorn, the former president of the cooperative and a disciple of the temple, was convicted of embezzlement. He was found to have donated Bt1.2 billion of the co-op’s funds to the temple.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Dhammachayo after he failed – despite three summonses – to meet officials from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) for questioning.

However, authorities have been unable to enter the temple.

The DSI is being pressured by Dhammachayo’s supporters on one side and those calling for authorities to arrest him as soon as possible on the other, Paiboon said.

“Authorities are dealing with this matter carefully,” he said.

Both the justice minister and the temple dismissed the rumour that Bt2 billion in bribes was requested in exchange for sparing the abbot and threatened to sue anyone found responsible for spreading it

Inside the temple compound in Pathum Thani, some 5,000 followers were still gathered to show their support for its abbot.

Paisit Wongmuang, director-general of the DSI, said his department was waiting for the right time to arrest Dhammachayo.

The DSI has requested help from police to dispatch a helicopter to survey the temple’s massive compound and is seeking cooperation from the monastic ruling body in bringing the abbot in, he said.

Pol Colonel Krissana Pattana-charoen, deputy National Police spokesman, confirmed that the DSI had asked for police personnel to assist with its operation but did not know whether that included an aerial survey. “But they did not specify what kind of operation it will be,” he said.

However, National Police chief General Chakthip Chaijinda has instructed all police units to support any DSI operation, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam disagreed with the DSI seeking the intervention of Somdej Chuang, the caretaker Supreme Patriarch, in its attempt to detain Dhammachayo.

The DSI should first try to get help from the abbot’s superiors, such as monastic supervisors of the province or region, or even the Sangha Supreme Council, he said.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha did not seem to be worried about this issue, he said, adding that the PM wanted authorities to deal with this matter in strict accordance with the law.

The Sangha Supreme Council yesterday resolved to reject a DSI request for the monastic body and Somdej Chuang to ask Phra Dhammachayo to turn himself in. The council concluded that the issue was not a monastic matter and authorities involved should resort to negotiations.