Present at yesterday afternoon’s meeting at Wat Khian Khet were DSI officials, Pathum Thani chief monk Phra Thep Rattanasuthi and National Office of Buddhism officials.

The DSI has summoned Phra Dhammachayo, abbot of the Pathum Thani-based Wat Phra Dhammakaya, to hear charges of money-laundering at its head office but he failed to show after the temple claimed he was seriously ill. Three have already heard the charges of money laundering and receiving ill-gotten wealth.

The charges relate to a huge embezzlement scheme uncovered at the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative involving five suspects. Three have already admitted their guilt.

The DSI now has the option of concluding the case and forwarding it to public prosecutors.

The Pathum Thani chief monk insisted he was acting only as a coordinator for the talks because the case was not related to the monastic order.

He said information from his deputies’ May 26 visit to Wat Phra Dhammakaya indicated the abbot’s leg was swollen, but he did not know if the condition would have prevented the monk from walking.

Yesterday’s meeting was not attended by Wat Phra Dhammakaya representatives on the grounds that the temple has many groups of disciples.

Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen lawyer Somsak Toraksa, in his capacity as the Pathum Thani chief monk’s adviser, said the talks had progressed by 95 per cent and stalled because of disagreements over certain terms. Participants agreed to formulate a memorandum for disciples’ consideration and the abbot’s final decision, he said.

He said DSI deputy chief Somboon Sarasit agreed to coordinate with case investigators and the memorandum’s content would be revealed if the DSI and the abbot approved the move.

Conditions set

Prior to the meeting, Somsak said the temple stipulated two conditions including the abbot’s immediate release on bail and for doctors from Phra Mongkut Hospital to examine him.

Earlier yesterday, DSI chief Paisit Wongmuang said he and other DSI officials felt troubled by criticism that the agency had not proceeded to enforce the abbot’s arrest warrant because the failure to act per the arrest warrant could lead to people filing complaints against officers.

Paisit said a monastic rule-related action is in the pipeline with the help of the Pathum Thani chief monk, while investigators had been sent to determine the exact location of Phra Dhammachayo in the vast temple compound. He said that confirmation would be used in a search warrant application.

Meanwhile, supporters and followers of Wat Phra Dhammakaya have called for investigations to be launched against two academics accused of making negative remarks about Phra Dhammachayo. In Sa Kaew province, Panchit Wannacharoen and 15 other supporters of the embattled monk filed a complaint at the Wattana Nakhon Police Station against academic Somkiat Onwimon, claiming that Somkiat wrote posts on his Facebook page that tarnished the abbot’s image.

Earlier yesterday morning at Thammasat University’s Rangsit campus, Ong-art Thamnitta and Ai Petthong, representing a group of Wat Phra Dhammakaya followers, filed a complaint calling for the university’s president to launch an inquiry of Chulabhorn International College of Medicine lecturer Dr Mano Laohawanich.

They alleged Mano might have breached university regulations after accusing Phra Dhammachayo of inappropriate behaviour including non-Buddhist practices.

In another development, national police chief General Chakthip Chaijinda said he had urged police and local administrators to watch out for third parties trying to create chaos at the temple and to screen entry and exit to the compound.

“If the officials wait till May 26 and deploy forces and armoured vehicles to search and arrest him, some of his followers would be worried and gather at the temple. “If a third party interferes, the situation will escalate and adversely affect the image of government and the country,” the temple said in a statement.

On Tuesday, the Department of Special Investigation issued an arrest warrant for Phra Dhammachayo after he missed several summons to report to hear charges of money-laundering and receiving stolen funds.

The DSI has set Thursday as the deadline for his surrender.

The temple’s statement said it would not block DSI officials if they come inside the temple on Wednesday.

Colonel Paisit Wongmuang, the new director-general of the DSI, said they would wait till Thursday before taking any action.

They would not go inside the temple because Phra Dhammachayo had never personally welcomed DSI officials to come to the temple.

Only his followers had said that through the media.

The department would meet to decide the legality of the medical excuse issued by the deputy director of Kai Panu Rangsi hospital for Phra Dhammachayo, because the hospital’s director has indicated that the document was not official.

The DSI would also decide whether to press charges of defamation and contempt of court against the temple’s spokesman, monks and TV hosts.

If the suspect seeks temporary release after his arrest, he would have to post bail based on the penalties and estimated damages in the case, he added.

Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya said officers would not raid or surround the temple to arrest Phra Dhammachayo because this was not a drug case.

“If they cannot go inside [the temple], they just have to return. There is no need to do any damage. If we end up not nabbing the suspect, we can still wrap up the case and file the charges in the court,” he said.

Videos showing the monk suffering from serious infirmities and receiving treatment at the temple were posted on Facebook Live.

Paisit said the DSI had never claimed that the monk was not sick, but there was evidence that he could still travel by car to perform functions outside the temple.

THE confrontation between the Department of Special Investigation and lawyers for influential Dhammakaya Temple abbot Phra Dhammachayo has worsened, with the DSI due today to review its plan to serve the abbot with charges of collusion in connection with alleged money laundering. It had planned to do that outside the DSI office.

The showdown has been marked by accusations and counter-accusations on both sides after the abbot adamantly refused to leave the temple compound to hear the latest charges against him.

DSI chief Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang yesterday asked a lawyer representing the abbot, who claimed to be too ill to travel to hear the charges at the DSI office, to submit more complete medical records to substantiate the health claim and submit a letter of power of attorney.

Earlier, the lawyer, along with two doctors, submitted documents to the DSI but they were incomplete, Paisit said.

He said the DSI would meet today with a prosecutor to decide whether it was necessary to serve the charges to the monk at the temple.

In addition to the collusion charges, the abbot faces a related charge of receiving ill-gotten gains.

The popular temple’s followers have filed a complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Commission accusing the DSI of abusing its authority while taking legal action against the abbot.

The DSI chief denied the |allegation but said people had the right to lodge the complaint.

Samphan Sermcheep, Phra Dhammachayo’s lawyer, said he brought the two doctors and medical documents relating to the monk to back up the illness claim.

He insisted his client had no intention to flee so the DSI could serve the charges at the temple or bring doctors to check his health, which journalists could observe.

He said the monk stayed in a “clean room” in the temple, which was the equivalent of him receiving treatment in a hospital, as there were doctors to take care of him.

However, the temple has refused to release photos with a full view of the monk’s health condition. Only pictures showing one of his legs was made available. The lawyer said it was a patient’s right to do that.

He dismissed the rumour that Phra Dhammachayo had fled to another country, saying the monk was still at the temple, as he wished to pass away there.

Samphan said there were many groups of Dhammakaya followers, so he couldn’t say for sure if the temple was behind the call for the NACC to probe the DSI for alleged abuse of authority.

He said DSI officials would be safe inside the temple but admitted that followers outside the premises could not be controlled.

Samphan said if the DSI asked a court to issue an arrest warrant for Phra Dhammachayo, he would object to it on the ground that the monk was ill and had no intention of fleeing.

Meanwhile, a group of 890 Phuket residents lodged a complaint with the provincial authority yesterday to oppose a local movement against the DSI’s legal action in the Phra Dhammachayo case.

Somchai Yeesan, a leader of the group, said some Phuket residents had misrepresented the southern province in their move against the DSI. He said his group wanted to support the DSI action against the controversial abbot.

Earlier, the group set up desks at a provincial centre to receive |signatures to support the action, while followers of the temple reportedly travelled to Bangkok.

Another group calling themselves “disciples of Dhammakaya Temple” said in a statement that DSI officials had already interviewed the abbot at the temple and submitted an investigation report to the public prosecutor, but there was no decision to indict the abbot.

As a result, it said the DSI started another investigation into the same issue and this time filed charges in relation to money-laundering and receiving stolen items.

This group said the DSI actions were redundant and against the double jeopardy principle, so the agency should itself face charges in accordance with sections 157 and 200 of the Criminal Code.