Pairoj Buanuam, a land official in Nakhon Ratchasima, disclosed yesterday that an investigation showed that World Peace Valley occupied 480 rai, but only had land-rights documents for 293 rai.

He said all these plots were inside the Lam Takhong self-sufficient community, which uses its land for agricultural purposes only.

“The Social Development and Human Security Ministry will have to look into this case. It is in charge of this community,” Pairoj said.

A source familiar with the case said yesterday’s move was just part of a bigger mission the DSI had to complete.

DSI officials, meanwhile, managed to get official acknowledgement from temple officials about the arrest warrant for Phra Dhammachayo and the search warrant they produced after entering the temple’s vast compound in Pathum Thani.

A DSI source told “Primetime” on Nation TV that using thousands of followers to block authorities from arresting Phra Dhammachayo was a criminal offence.

DSI deputy director-general Suriya Singhakamol said officials had recorded all the events involving the temple’s worshippers and monks obstructing the agency from arresting Phra Dhammachayo. He said the authorities would determine whether their acts were against the law.

The abbot is wanted for allegedly colluding in money laundering and receiving ill-gotten assets in connection with a Bt12-billion embezzlement scandal involving one of his key followers.

Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya told “Primetime” that the authorities involved had expected obstruction by the abbot’s followers and the temple’s monks.

“No arrest could be made [yesterday] but there will be more operations again and again,” he said.

Paiboon added that anyone involved in helping wanted offenders to try to get away with an offence would be punished with imprisonment of up to two years and/or a maximum fine of Bt4,000.

Photos of temple worshippers and monks were taken as proof against them. “They will be arrested later, anywhere they are found, whether it is their home or somewhere along the way,” he said.

The justice minister told “Primetime” that the refusal to allow its abbot to be arrested portrayed the temple as stubborn and prone to challenging the law.

“This in turn will adversely affect the temple’s image and the feeling of the Thai public” towards it, he added.

Paiboon said it was time for society to choose which side they wanted to stand with – those on the right side of the law or the alleged law violator.

 

THE DEPARTMENT of Special Investigation (DSI) will meet today to decide on its next course of action after Phra Dhammachayo failed to report himself to hear money-laundering and related charges against him before yesterday’s deadline.

The DSI and public prosecutors plan to seek a court-issued search warrant today for the temple’s vast compound, senior prosecutor Kachornsak Putthanupap said.

“We already have an arrest warrant [for Phra Dhammachayo] and will meet to discuss the arrest,” he said.

The prosecutor said that under the law, a temple was private property and authorities needed a search warrant to enter the premises. He said the authorities would deal with this case “as gently as possible in order to prevent possible violence”.

“There are many monks and their followers in the temple. We will use a method that will not lead to violence,” he added.

Devotees of Dhammakaya Temple near Bangkok said in a statement that the abbot could not see DSI officials after being struck down by a sudden illness.

The DSI said the monk needed to go to nearby Thammasat University Hospital if he were sick. However, Phra Dhammachayo, who is facing criminal charges of conspiring to launder money and receiving ill-gotten gains, stayed inside the temple until the 4.30pm DSI deadline expired.

Prior to the deadline, more than 100 monks and devotees of Dhammakaya Temple went to Klong Luang Police Station in Pathum Thani province in the early afternoon, as DSI officials waited for the abbot to hear the charges. Samphun Sermcheep, the temple’s lawyer, said the abbot would show up at around 2.30pm to hear the charges and seek a temporary release on a Bt5-million bail set by the DSI. However, he failed to report himself. The temple spokesperson said the abbot fell sick suddenly, suffering from dizziness and fainting while being moved from the temple clinic to an ambulance.

Kachornsak said authorities had treated the abbot with the highest respect.

According to the prosecutor, investigators had three medical doctors from the Police Hospital ready to examine Phra Dhammachayo. Because he did not go to Thammasat University Hospital as suggested, the authorities would today seek a court order to visit the temple and take the abbot into custody, Kachornsak said.

He said the process of hearing charges would not take a long time and there would be no chaos since no one wanted to see violence or the obstruction of the justice system. But if a chaotic situation developed, authorities could oppose a temporary release for the monk and bail could be rejected.

According to the law, other people, including lawyers, could not hear charges on behalf of the accused, he said. Asked why officials had not entered the temple yesterday given Klong Luang Police Station’s close proximity to the temple, Kachornsak said the authorities would need a separate court order to do that and it would be sought after the abbot failed to show up to hear the charges.

At 3.50pm yesterday, a doctor who had treated Phra Dhammachayo told the DSI that the abbot would not go to the hospital suggested by the agency.

The meeting is slated to start at 10am, he said, adding that no armoured vehicles |or helicopters would be used in the operation to take the abbot into custody as speculated. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said the abbot could hear the DSI charges without being disrobed.