Evidence submitted against Shaolin abbot
Shanghai Daily, August 22, 2015
Evidence presented by a former monk at the Shaolin Temple alleging that the abbot is involved in graft has been accepted for investigation by the country's Supreme People's Procuratorate.
Prosecutors will now examine the allegations submitted against the temple's 50-year-old abbot, Shi Yongxin, Thepaper.cn reported yesterday.
The Shaolin Temple in central China's Henan Province is renowned worldwide for its martial arts training and the spectacular shows of its monks' skills.
The supreme procuratorate in Beijing said former Shaolin Temple monk Shi Yanlu, from Dengfeng City in Henan, called, together with another person, earlier this month presenting claims against Shi Yongxin.
Shi Yongxin [file photo]
Procuratorate officers accepted their materials and transferred them to the provincial procuratorate in Henan, said officials.
One of the representatives told Thepaper that they had reported six alleged problems concerning Shi Yongxin.
These were corruption, embezzlement, accepting bribes, abusing his power, unlawful detention and illegally possessing properties of the temple, said the website.
It did not give details of the allegations made against Shi Yongxin.
This is not the first time that the abbot has been at the center of controversy.
In July, Shaolin Temple called in police to investigate a web user "Shi Zhengyi," who claimed to be a former Shaolin monk.
The netizen claimed that Shi Yongxin possessed a fake identity card, had affairs with several women and had daughters with his mistresses.
The religious affairs bureau under Dengfeng City government announced early this month that investigations had found there was no such person as "Shi Zhengyi."
Other matters raised were still under investigation, said officials.
A few days later, Shi Yanlu went to Beijing to report alleged problems involving the abbot and several people who had lived or worked in the temple, reported Thepaper.
Shi Yongxin has been keeping a low profile in recent weeks.
He canceled an appearance at an event called Shaolin Culture on Silk Road in Thailand earlier this month.
However, he appeared on Thursday at the first cross-Strait young Buddhists forum, which was held at the Shaolin Temple.
It was his first public appearance since allegations against him surfaced appearance after he was claimed to have serious misbehavior.
