Assistant abbot and accomplice apprehended for embezzlement

Anti-Corruption Division police swooped down on Wat Ratchapradit’s assistant abbot and his suspected accomplice in an embezzlement case.

Assistant abbot, 47 year old Phrakru Sutheesutawatwiwat Puangkerd, found himself in handcuffs at Wat Duang Khae in Pathumwan district, while his alleged accomplice, 52 year old Panjit Phanphrom, faced legal consequences at Wat Tha Phra in Bangkok Yai district.

According to police reports, the duo stands accused of siphoning off more than 200 million baht in cash from the temple coffers between 2018 and 2023. Their nefarious plot began to unravel when authorities flagged suspicious cash withdrawals from the temple’s accounts.

Detailing their modus operandi, police disclosed that Phrakru Sutheesutawatwiwat often tampered with cheques intended for the temple’s abbot, altering the amounts before dispatching them to…