Police are expected to serve |a search warrant for Phra Dhammachayo in the temple because the authorities have already spent a lot of time trying to negotiate his surrender, said Pol Maj-General Worapong Thongpaiboon, acting commander of the Natural Resources and Environment Crime Division, said.

“Previously, police had given many assurances to the temple, including a promise for the abbot’s release on bail [as it was within police investigators’ authority], but they still wouldn’t contact us for Phra Dhammachayo’s surrender. They only set more conditions for bargaining,” acting Special Branch Bureau 4 chief Pol Maj-General Chayapol Chatchaidech said.

He added the police were not unduly worried and would perform their duties as required by law.

Both Worapong and Chayapol went to the Klong Luang police |station in Pathum Thani at 10am yesterday to jointly file the |complaint against the acting |abbot – identified as Phra Ratchapawanajarn or Phra Thattachivo – under Article 189 and Article 157 of the Criminal Code.

Article 189 states: “Whoever assists a person alleged to have committed a non-petty offence to prevent his arrest faces punishment of up to two years’ imprisonment and/or Bt4,000 fine.

Article 157 states: Whoever, being an official, omits to perform his duties shall be punished with 1-10 years’ imprisonment and/or Bt2,000-Bt20,000 fine.

Worapong also submitted as evidence for the complaint an interview video-clip of Ong-art Dhammanitta, spokesman of the Dhammakaya disciples group, who had said Phra Dhammachayo was ill and recovering in the temple.

Worapong said police had told the acting abbot on November 28 that he had until December 2 to give up Phra Dhammachayo to police under a fresh arrest warrant for the monk in relation to a case connected to the World Peace Valley Khao Yai monastic retreat, which allegedly encroaches on state-owned land in Nakhon Ratchasima province.

Police would now send a summons to Phra Thattachivo. If he failed to show up after the third |summons was issued, an arrest warrant would be issued, Worapong explained.

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) had been told by prosecutors to bring in Phra Dhammachayo to face charges of money laundering and receiving stolen assets linked to an embezzlement case involving the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative.

No concrete result

DSI chief Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang yesterday revealed that a team from the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) tasked with negotiating Phra Dhammachayo’s surrender had so far not achieved any concrete result.

Paisit said NOB chief Phanom Sornsilpa would have to discuss |further with the temple at a later date. He said DSI officials had accompanied the NOB team at recent talks to explain what could or could not be done. He said officials had also explained that the DSI no longer had the authority to grant Dhammachayo bail because the case was now with the public prosecutors.

Kajornsak Putthanuphab, executive director at the Office of the Attorney-General’s investigation office 3, confirmed that the power to give bail was now with the prosecutors while the DSI could choose to not object to the bail application.

He said the DSI could pursue two options: apply for a search warrant of the temple and arrest Phra Dhammachayo under the arrest warrant in the money-laundering case that had raised fears of a clash with citizens; or proceed with legal action against senior administrating monks, especially the acting abbot, for failing to give up the fugitive monk.

The senior public prosecutor said the operation could invite the monks to lead the search. Failure to cooperate could result in a criminal charge against the monks. He said the DSI investigators and prosecutors would hold a meeting this week to discuss the options.

He explained that the charges against the administrating monks for not surrendering Phra Dhammachayo were separate from the money-laundering case filed by the DSI.