BEIJING: The former head of the Chinese temple known as the birthplace of gongfu has been arrested over suspicion of embezzlement, the local authorities said on Sunday (Nov 16).
Shi Yongxin, former abbot of the Shaolin Temple, was removed in July for “extremely” bad behaviour.
Allegations of misappropriating project funds and temple assets saw him placed under investigation and disrobed.
The authorities in central Henan province, where the Shaolin Temple is, approved Shi’s arrest on “suspicion of embezzlement, misappropriating funds and accepting bribes as a non-state employee”, the Xinxiang Procuratorate said in a statement.
Shi, 60, took office as abbot in 1999 and in the following decades, expanded Shaolin studies and cultural knowledge overseas.
He became known as the “CEO monk” for establishing dozens of companies abroad – but received backlash for commercialising Buddhism.
He had previously been accused by former monks of embezzling money from a temple-run company, maintaining a fleet of luxury cars and fathering children with multiple women.
Source: CNA
