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Former Shaolin Abbot Shi Yongxin Arrested on Embezzlement and Bribery Charges

The case signals a sharp turn from an earlier exoneration to formal prosecution.

Als "Manager im Mönchsgewand" wurde der Abt des berühmten Shaolin-Klosters in China bekannt, nun ist er abgesetzt worden: Wegen "extremen Fehlverhaltens" sei Shi Yongxin seines Amtes enthoben worden, teilte die Buddhistische Vereinigung Chinas mit.

Overview

  • Henan authorities said the 60-year-old has been detained on suspicion of embezzling funds and accepting bribes.
  • Officials accuse Shi of misappropriating project money and temple assets at the famed monastery in Dengfeng.
  • China’s Buddhist Association removed him in July and revoked his clerical license for what it called extreme misconduct.
  • Earlier allegations from 2015 were not substantiated by a local inquiry, which had left him in place at the time.
  • Under Shi’s leadership, Shaolin grew into a global brand tied to tourism and commercial ventures, even as former monks’ claims of relationships and luxury cars remained unproven in court.