Abbot of Shaolin Temple under criminal investigation for embezzling funds
The famous Shaolin Temple, globally famous as the birthplace of kung fu martial arts, recently announced that its abbot, Shi Yongxin, is now under criminal investigation.
In a statement issued on 27 July, the historic monastery in Henan province, China, alleged that Yongxin had embezzled temple assets and project funds, as reported by The Guardian.
More shockingly, he is also accused of maintaining improper relationships with several women and fathering illegitimate children.
Source: Shaolin.org.cn
Abbot also known as ‘CEO Monk’
This isn’t the first time the 59-year-old monk has been embroiled in scandal.
Yongxin rose to become the abbot of the 1,530-year-old temple in 1999. Armed with an MBA, he earned the nickname “CEO Monk” for his role in commercialising the once-humble monastery.
He’s been criticised for accepting luxury cars in 2006. In 2015, he was slammed for attempting to build a Shaolin-themed complex, complete with a hotel and a golf course, in Australia.
That same year, he faced similar accusations of financial mismanagement and improper relationships with women, though no charges were brought against him then.
Source: Shaolin Temple Australia Facebook
Abbot remains silent over accusations
Though Yongxin has a massive following of over 870,000 on Weibo, he’s been noticeably silent since Thursday (24 July).
According to the Shaolin Temple’s statement, the abbot is being jointly investigated by “multiple departments”, reports CNN.
The temple has promised to release more details at a later date.
Also read: Thai abbot arrested over alleged embezzlement of S$11.7M for online gambling
Thai abbot arrested over alleged embezzlement of S$11.7M for online gambling
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Featured image adapted from China News Service on YouTube and GNT Studio on Unsplash.
