Police, DSI at odds over search warrants

Tensions remained high at Wat Phra Dhammakaya as a large number of disciples of the controversial temple continued to gather at the temple grounds despite a raid by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) initially planned for Tuesday being called off.

The Criminal Court on Monday approved four search warrants sought by the DSI valid for Dec 13-16, one for each day. The DSI was supposed to begin the first search Tuesday, as permitted under the first search warrant, of the 196-rai area of the temple.

A source in a combined police team which will be responsible for raiding the temple and arresting the embattled former abbot Phra Dhammajayo, said Pol Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, deputy national police chief, objected to the four separate search warrants for the operation.

According to the source, the Royal Thai Police plans to seek a new search warrant with some changes in the details of the operation and the time frame expanded to four days for a single warrant, instead of four one-day search warrants.

The source said a new operation plan would likely be designed and a new search warrant would then be requested.

The former abbot is wanted by police on money-laundering charges in connection with the multi-billion-baht Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement scandal. The case was investigated by the DSI.

The monk is also the subject of arrest warrants issued by the Sikhiu and Loei provincial courts in connection with alleged forest encroachment in Sikhiu district of Nakhon Ratchasima province and in Loei province.

The Criminal Court on Tuesday rejected a request by the temple's legal team to revoke the search warrants granted to the combined search team, said a source.

The court reasoned that there was no reason to consider cancelling the search warrants as requested by the temple, said the source.

Thachanon Pornbaiyok, a lawyer representing the temple in seeking to have the four warrants revoked, refused to discuss details of the court's decision.

He said the court had made a decision on the request he submitted on behalf of the temple, but he could not say any more about it.

Mr Thachanon said only the temple's communications office has the authority to discuss such matters.

Meanwhile, Phra Maha Nopporn Poonyachayo, assistant director of the temple's communications office, told a large group of reporters who showed up to cover the expected raid at the temple in Pathum Thani that the media would not be allowed to enter the temple Tuesday for safety reasons.

According to the monk, the temple had to maintain stringent security measures as a large number of faithful were coming to the temple to pray. He said many people began arriving at the temple from Monday night.

In another development, Pathum Thani police have removed the broken concrete piles which had been blocking a road along a canal on one side of Wat Phra Dhammakaya Tuesday morning.

Pol Lt Col Sethakorn Chaiveerawong, deputy chief of Klong Luang district police, said a Toyota Soluna car was seen parked near the broken piles shortly after midnight.

On seeing the police patrol, a group of men beside the obstruction jumped into the car and quickly drove into the temple through gate No 5. He believed the broken piles were placed there by disciples of Wat Phra Dhammakaya.

Police were looking for evidence to identify the people responsible. Pol Lt Col Sethakorn said he had asked security guards at the temple about the broken concrete piles, but received no answer. He said he believed they were taken from the entrance to the temple's dhamma park.

Prayong Preeyachitt, secretary-general of the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, said the office was investigating also whether the temple had broken the law with its construction of public bridges in six areas to control access to the temple.

Meanwhile, Pol Maj Woranan Silam, deputy spokesman of the DSI, along with a legal team, lodged a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division's Sub-Division 2 accusing Wat Phra Dhammakaya spokesman Ong-art Thamnitha of violating Section 116 of the Criminal Code.

In the complaint, the DSI accused Mr Ong-art of inciting rebellion by declaring on Sunday a nine-point stance claimed to be on behalf of all followers of the temple, Pol Maj Woranan said.

Police at Klong Luang station in Pathum Thani needed a crane to remove concrete piles placed by temple saboteurs in an effort to block a road leading to the sect's headquarters.

Pol Gen Srivara, meanwhile, dismissed rumours spreading online that the person heard blasting the Highway Police in an audio clip for failing to stop a van from taking people to Wat Phra Dhammakaya was him.

A total of three audio clips were circulated online on Monday by a person going by the name San Johnson.

Insisting the man in the clips was not him, Pol Gen Srivara declined to comment further on the matter, claiming it overlapped with the temple issue which he was not at liberty to discuss.

He said only Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda has the authority to discuss temple matters with the media.

Source:
courtesy of BANGKOK POST

by BANGKOK POST

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]