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A intercourse scandal has rocked Thailand’s Buddhist clergy after a lady allegedly enticed a string of monks into having intercourse along with her after which blackmailed them.
A minimum of 9 abbots and senior monks have been disrobed and forged out of the monkhood, the Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau stated.
Wilawan Emsawat, in her mid-30s, is accused of engaging senior monks into having intercourse along with her after which pressuring them into making massive funds to cowl it up.
Thai monks are largely members of the Theravada sect, which requires them to be celibate and chorus from even touching a lady.
A number of monks transferred massive quantities of cash after Wilawan initiated romantic relationships with them, police stated -her financial institution accounts obtained round 385 million baht (£8.8m) prior to now three years, with most of that spent on playing web sites.
Wilawan was arrested at her house in Nonthaburi province, north of the capital Bangkok, on prices together with extortion, cash laundering and receiving stolen items.
Thai media reported a search of her cellphones revealed tens of hundreds of pictures and movies, in addition to quite a few chat logs indicating intimacy with a number of monks, a lot of which may very well be used for blackmail.
Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau holding a press convention in Bangkok. Pic: Central Investigation Bureau/AP
An investigation was launched final month after an abbot of a well-known temple in Bangkok abruptly left the monkhood.
He had allegedly been blackmailed by Wilawan over their romantic relationship, investigators discovered.
She instructed the monk she was pregnant and requested him to pay her 7.2 million baht (£165,000), Jaroonkiat Pankaew, a Central Investigation Bureau deputy commissioner, stated at a information convention in Bangkok on Tuesday.
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Appearing Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai ordered authorities to evaluation and contemplate tightening current legal guidelines associated to monks and temples, particularly the transparency of temple funds, to revive religion in Buddhism, authorities spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub stated on Tuesday.
The Central Investigation Bureau has arrange a Fb web page for individuals to report monks who misbehave, Mr Jaroonkiat stated.
“We are going to examine monks throughout the nation,” he stated. “I consider that the ripple results of this investigation will result in lots of adjustments.”
