Chief nun and mainland Chinese monk arrested amid claims of marriage scam and embezzlement in Hong Kong monastery probe

Head nun among four arrested from a Buddhist monastery in Tai Po by immigration authorities after monastery director accused Chi Ding of finance mismanagement and bogus marriages

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The chief nun Sik Chi Ding (left) was arrested by Hong Kong immigration authorities along with three others this afternoon. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 12:45pm, 14 Oct 2015Updated: 12:19pm, 15 Oct 2015

Immigration authorities arrested the chief nun of a Buddhist monastery in Tai Po yesterday amid allegations that she married two mainland Chinese monks in a residency scam and pocketed donations.

Four people were arrested at Ting Wai Monastery at 2pm, including a man and a woman detained on suspicion of making false representations in statutory declarations and making false statements to immigration officers, the department said.

Sources close to the case named the four as chief nun Sik Chi Ding, 47; monk Ru Zhi, 40; a female Indonesian domestic helper, 30; and the helper's employer, also a nun, aged 40.

The helper and her employer were arrested on suspicion of breaching conditions of stay and aiding and abetting a person in breaching conditions of stay.

The two nuns and the monk were released on bail last night, while the helper was released on bail this morning. Chi Ding and the monk have to report to the investigation bureau on Tuesday.

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