The Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases yesterday formally indicted a former National Office of Buddhism director who was extradited from the United States after evading corruption charges for about eight years.
Nopparat Benjawattananon, 72, is accused of embezzling state funds allocated to more than 65 temples, including the prominent Phanan Choeng Worawihan Temple in Ayutthaya province. Many of the affected temples were in southern Thailand.
He was remanded to Samut Songkhram prison pending trial.
On September 27, Thai officials travelled to the United States to escort him back, after US authorities approved his extradition.
He had been arrested by US marshals in Texas in April this year, at Thailand’s request, and remained in custody while an American court reviewed the case.
The corruption scandal dates back to September 2023, when the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) ruled that Nopparat and other suspects had abused their authority to divert temple maintenance funds for personal gain.
Several co-defendants have already stood trial, but Nopparat fled to the US, prompting the court to his seek arrest and extradition.
In a separate case, Nopparat is accused of possessing ‘unusual wealth’ of 575 million baht, with 176 million baht in assets already frozen by the NACC.
The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has also frozen assets linked to him and other former officials worth more than 94 million baht.
