The former abbot of a Chinese temple famed as the birthplace of kung fu has been sentenced to 24 years in prison and fined 3.5 million yuan ($517,000) for crimes including embezzlement and bribery, state media reported on Friday.
Buddhist monk Shi Yongxin, 60, was charged in March this year after being placed under investigation last July.
A court in the central Chinese province of Henan handed down the sentence, saying Shi had abused his role at Shaolin Temple to embezzle, misappropriate, and take and give bribes totaling about 300 million yuan over nearly three decades.
Shi pleaded guilty and told the court he would not appeal, state media reported.
Shi, known as Liu Yingcheng before he became a monk in 1981, oversaw the temple from 1987 and became its abbot in 1999.
Shi, born Liu Yingcheng, transformed the temple into a global brand through kung fu promotion and commercial ventures, earning the nickname 'CEO monk.'
Buddhist monks from the Shaolin temple perform on January 19, 2014 at Dakar's Grand Theatre.//AFP
His leadership was controversial for its commercialisation and was later marred by allegations of violating Buddhist precepts, including maintaining relationships with multiple women and fathering a child.
Shaolin Temple said last July that its head monk was under joint investigation by multiple agencies for suspected criminal offences, including embezzlement and violating Buddhist precepts by maintaining improper relationships with multiple women over a long period.
Shi's monastic certificate was swiftly revoked by the Buddhist Association of China amid the investigation. Responding to Shi's sentencing in a statement, the association said on Friday that "he brought it on himself".
His conviction marks a striking reversal from cultural ambassador to disgraced figure.
