Di former head of China famous Shaolin Temple, wey dem know as di birthplace of kung fu, don land inside prison for 24 years. Im crime na embezzlement and bribery.
Shi Yongxin don dey misappropriate temple assets wey reach more than 282 million yuan, wey be about $42 million or £31 million, from 2003 to 2025. Court for central Henan province tok am.
Di court say Shi also use im official position to illegally collect millions from temple construction projects, and also offer huge bribes to Chinese officials.
Shi, wey im birth name na Liu Yingcheng, don earlier admit im guilt, according to China state Xinhua news agency. On Friday, im say im no go appeal against di verdict.
Di 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple, wey dey for mountain range, dey attract thousands of disciples from China and other countries every year.
Shi take office as abbot for 1999, and soon earn di nickname “CEO monk” because im transform di institution into global brand. Under im leadership, di temple start to open schools outside China and form travelling troupe of monks wey dey perform Shaolin kung fu shows, wey be di temple signature style of martial arts.
Last year, China Buddhist association say dem don defrock am. Shi bin dey investigated for embezzlement and fathering several children for 2015, but later dem clear am of di charges. For interview with BBC Chinese dat year, im tok: “If there were a problem, it would have surfaced long ago.”
Di name “Shaolin Temple” don gain prominence for pop culture over di years, including as title of 1982 film wey star Jet Li. Di temple dey referenced for songs by American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan and inspire spin-off of video game Mortal Kombat.
