Taiwan’s Donglin Temple Abbot and Son Arrested on Suspicions of Embezzling Donations and Converting

The abbot of Donglin Temple in Taiwan's Yilan County and his son were arrested on August 3 on suspicion of embezzling temple donations and converting part of the funds into cryptocurrency and gold. Prosecutors estimate the misappropriation at over NT$100 million, with the family of a devotee—a second-generation owner of a fish ball shop in Taipei's Dihua Street—claiming she donated roughly NT$300 million to the temple over several years. The case emerged from a family dispute over the devotee's assets and has drawn attention to the use of virtual assets to allegedly launder or store embezzled funds. Authorities are expected to trace the crypto conversions and gold purchases as the investigation proceeds, with the gap between the family's claimed donations and the prosecutors' embezzlement estimate a key point to watch.