The Criminal Court on Tuesday handed down a 10-year jail sentence to Apirat Jayankura Na Ayudhya, a close aide of the late abbot of Wat Bowon Niwet, for forgery to embezzle 80 million baht from the temple’s accounts.
The court also ordered Apirat to return the money to the temple, plus interest.
The ruling was delivered at the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road at 9.30am in response to a lawsuit filed by prosecutors and the temple’s acting abbot against Apirat.
According to the suit, the alleged theft occurred between 2021 and 2022 when the suspect lied to the monk, claiming he needed money to pay for temple repairs and workers’ wages.
The Crown Property Bureau…
