The embattled abbot of Wat Dhammakaya, Phra Dhammachayo, is ready to turn himself in to knowledge criminal charges against him on the condition that he is granted bail.
The above arrangement was agreed upon after about three hours of talk and negotiation between officials of the Department of Special Investigation, representatives of the National Office of Buddhism, the chief monk of Pathum Thani and legal advisors of Wat Dhammakaya at the temple on Friday.
The DSI was represented by Mr Phisitchai Sawangwattanakorn and Mr Boonruang Leelavichitseth.
At a press conference held at the temple after the meeting, Mr Phisitchai said that the talk was satisfactory. He said briefly that Phra Dhammachayo agreed to turn himself in to enter the judicial process with a guarantee that he could bail himself out.
However, he said the monk wanted a little more time to make sure that he would be granted bail after he turned himself in.
Phra Dhammachayo is facing charges of conspiring to launder money and accepting ill-gotten gains in connection with several cheques illegally issued by the former management of Klongchan Credit Union Cooperatives for the temple and for him.
