ZHENGZHOU, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Shi Yongxin, former abbot of the renowned Shaolin Temple, was sentenced to 24 years in jail for graft on Friday.
Shi, whose birth name is Liu Yingcheng, was convicted of crimes including embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, acceptance of bribes as a non-state functionary, and offering bribes, according to the Intermediate People's Court of Xinxiang City in central China's Henan Province.
The court said Liu, while serving as abbot of Shaolin Temple and chairman of a charity foundation attached to the temple, illegally appropriated more than 131 million yuan (about 19.2 million U.S. dollars) in money and assets owned by the temple and the foundation between 2003 and 2025, acting either alone or in collusion with others.
From 2012 to 2022, Liu also misappropriated more than 151 million yuan in funds owned by the temple and the foundation for personal use and failed to return the money for more than three months, the court said.
The court further found that since July 2006, Liu had used his positions to help others secure the temple's construction projects and related business opportunities in exchange for cash and valuables totaling more than 11.63 million yuan.
In addition, from 1995 to 2022, Liu offered money and valuables totaling more than 5.67 million yuan in bribes to state functionaries in order to obtain improper benefits, according to the ruling.
The court said the case involved exceptionally large sums of money, particularly serious bribery offenses, and criminal conduct that continued over a prolonged period, causing serious harm and generating a highly negative social impact. It ruled that a severe punishment was warranted in accordance with the law.
Liu honestly confessed to his offenses, voluntarily disclosed some criminal facts previously unknown to investigators, and showed remorse by admitting guilt, according to the court.
Following the announcement of the verdict, Liu said in court that he would not appeal the sentence.
He stood trial on May 25, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse in his final statement. ■
