Senior monk bailed on sexual abuse charge, arrested for embezzlement
The police Counter Corruption Division (CCD) appeared at the Criminal Court on Thursday to arrest a senior monk as soon as he was released on bail after being charged with sexual abuse.
Phra Khru Kitti Patcharakhun, the abbot of Lad Khae temple and chief monk of Phetchabun’s Chon Daen district, was taken to court for allegedly sexually violating a child younger than 15 years old.
On Thursday afternoon, the court agreed to approve his bail request.
But as soon as he was released on Bt200,000 bail, CCD officials arrested him and took him to their headquarters.
He was also wanted on charges of stealing from the state budget that is designated for temples.
CCD commander Pol Maj-General Kamol Rienracha said the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases approved an arrest warrant for Phra Khru Kitti, 53, because of alleged money laundering on Thursday.
“Our team went to the Criminal Court to detain him,” Kamol said.
CCD team plans to bring Phra Khru Kitti Patcharakhun, 53, to the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases on Friday to seek permission for his detention.
“If he submits a bail request, we will try to object,” he said.
Phra Khru Kitti is one of the many suspects implicated in alleged schemes to steal state-provided temple subsidies. High-level officials of the National Office of Buddhism are also implicated.