Cult chief faces trial for rape, fraud

The founder and leader of the Huazang Zongmen cult is to be prosecuted along with several suspected members, it was announced on Wednesday.

Prosecutors in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, say Wu Zeheng used the cult to sabotage law-enforcement operations and carry out rape, fraud and the production and sale of unsafe food.

The court action is being taken after a yearlong investigation. Police say female followers believed Wu's claims that going to bed with him could help them to acquire supernatural powers.

He is said to have used this story to seduce dozens of women, including two pairs of sisters and several minors. He allegedly amassed more than 6.9 million yuan ($1.1 million) in illegal profits.

Wu, born in 1967, was convicted of sexual assault at an early age and was detained for fraud in 1991. In 2000, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for illegal fundraising and unlawful business operations.

After his release in 2010, Wu began to promote his pseudo religion Huazang Zongmen, claiming it was a distinguished Buddhist sect and that he was the successor to a series of eminent monks.

He exaggerated his educational qualifications and eventually came to be seen by his followers as a master who possessed supernatural powers. He claimed that he held a PhD from the UK's Cambridge University, but inquiries at his hometown in Huilai, Guangdong, revealed that he dropped out of a junior high school.

Wu used inflammatory preaching to attract a growing number of followers who were attracted to the cult because they wished to study Buddhism, seek treatment for health problems or ward off ill fortune, according to police.

When Wu was arrested in July last year, cash and luxury liquors, watches and jewelry were seized in his 200-square-meter apartment in Zhuhai, police said.

One follower said she had been raped frequently by Wu and became pregnant three times and was forced to have abortions. Police said Wu had at least 12 children.

He allegedly set up websites and opened social media accounts to lure followers, and swindled them out of large sums of money.

"Newcomers usually gave Wu premium cigarettes, liquor and tea as presents, but he hinted that he preferred cash," said a follower surnamed Yuan.

Wu asked his followers to raise millions of yuan so he could open a restaurant in Shenzhen, Guangdong. He claimed the dishes served there at prices of between 2,000 and 6,000 yuan were prepared using secret recipes and expensive ingredients.

However, the investigators found that the food was plain and contained banned herbs.

To cover up his past and gain support abroad, Wu is alleged to have said he had been imprisoned because of "religious persecution". Huazang Zongmen is not an officially registered organization, and Wu is not a registered monk, according to police.

Shi Mingsheng, vice-president of the Buddhist Association of China, described Huazang Zongmen as a "disguised cult" that did not conform to the values of Buddhism.