A court in Xinxiang, Henan province, China, has sentenced the former head of the Shaolin Monastery, Shi Yongxin, to 24 years in prison.
According to Oxu.Az citing Reuters, he was found guilty of embezzlement, illegal appropriation of funds, and bribery.
Yongxin was appointed head of the monastery in 1999. The investigation revealed that he illegally obtained over 300 million yuan (about $44 million). In addition to imprisonment, he was fined 3.5 million yuan ($517,000).
Yongxin pleaded guilty and stated he would not appeal. The Chinese Buddhist Association stripped him of his religious rank, and Shi Yingle became the new head.
