Project uses governor's name without permission
Khon Kaen Governor Sombat Triwatsuwan yesterday filed a police complaint accusing a foundation of using his name to collect donations to build the world's largest reclining Buddha statue without his consent.
Sombat said he is named as the chairman of the project’s laymen’s committee in letters sent around Khon Kaen and nearby provinces inviting people to donate Bt1,000 each to the Bt900-million project at Wat Nong Waeng on April 15.
He said the organiser, Ton Pho Nang Fa Foundation, a legal foundation whose establishment was approved by him on January 18, didn’t ask his permission. He said others named as “laymen’s committee members”, including Khon Kaen Provincial Administration Organisation President Pongsak tangwanishakapong, also said they didn’t know anything about it.
Meanwhile, Wat Nong Waeng acting abbot Phra Khru Sarakit Prasut urged the media to inform the public that the abbot’s name was used in association with the project without permission, and that the temple had nothing to do with it.
