- Former Thai Buddhist monk Alongkot Poonmook has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for embezzling funds from an HIV and Aids hospice.
- His associate and fundraiser Seksan Sapsubbsakul was also jailed for 50 years after both were convicted of embezzlement and money laundering.
- Cumulative sentences of 742 years for Alongkot and 386 years for Seksan were automatically reduced to Thailand's legal maximum limit of 50 years.
- The pair were ordered to return more than 300 million baht (nearly £7 million) stolen from the hospice at Wat Phra Bat Namphu temple.
- The high-profile case has renewed scrutiny over financial transparency and wealthy Buddhist temples across Thailand.
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