BANGKOK – Two more senior monks left the monkhood on Monday after being named in the ongoing sex and money scandal linked to a woman known as “Sika Golf”.
Phra Thepatcharaporn, who served as the abbot of Wat Chujit Thammaram in Ayutthaya’s Wang Noi district, gave up his monastic position in front of other monks at the temple. Police and officials from the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission attended as witnesses.
After stepping down, police escorted him to the Central Investigation Bureau’s Anti-Corruption Division in Bangkok for questioning.
The investigation continues to uncover more details about the connections between several former senior monks and “Golf”, a woman known for pretending to be a wealthy socialite.
Earlier on Monday, Phra Prariyatthada, an aide to the abbot of Wat Kalayanamitr in Thon Buri, also resigned from the monkhood at Wat Ban Khai in Rayong province, according to a source at the CIB. Phra Prariyatthada had not returned to his temple in Bangkok for several days after his name was also tied to “Golf”.
This brings the total number of monks who have left the monkhood to eight, all of whom have been linked to either financial or sexual involvement with the 35-year-old woman.
Senior Monk Gave Sika Golf 13 Million Baht
Meanwhile, the former abbot Phra Thepatcharaporn of Wat Chujit Dhammaram admitted to sending nearly 13 million baht to “Sika Golf.”
Representatives from the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission and the Anti-Corruption Division visited the temple on Monday to review financial records and question Phra Theppatcharaporn as a witness.
The ex-abbot has already left the monkhood and has agreed to cooperate with authorities, according to Pol Lt Col Siripong Sritula, assistant secretary-general of the PACC.
The Anti-Corruption Division’s initial findings showed that temple donations and funds from religious events went into the former abbot’s account. From there, he sent 12.8 million baht to Sika Golf, and another 380,000 baht came directly from the temple account.
The money transfers, made by mobile banking apps and in cash, happened from January to July last year. One of these alone was valued at 10 million baht. Officers believe the former abbot’s actions could violate Section 157 of the Criminal Code, which covers misconduct by public officials.
Pol Lt Col Siripong said Sika Golf convinced the abbot she was a wealthy socialite with ties to senior monks, which helped her gain his confidence.
The former abbot described himself as “naive” and admitted he made a serious mistake. He claims he lent the money to Sika Golf for a ceramics business, although there was no written contract. Despite trying to get the money back by contacting her on social media, she has avoided any repayment.
He said he only realised the deception after hearing about the former abbot of Wat Tri Thotsathep, who left for Laos while under investigation for corruption. Investigators also pointed out that Wat Chujit Dhammaram did not have a temple committee or a manager for lay affairs.
Both the former abbot and Sika Golf deny any romantic involvement.
