Qigong 'master' entangled in property dispute

FUZHOU - Self-proclaimed qigong master Wang Lin did not show in court when his trial over a property dispute with a former disciple opened in East China's city of Nanchang on Tuesday.

The Jiangxi Higher People's Court began hearing a case in which Zou Yong, a businessman who formally acknowledged Wang as his master before November 2012, is suing Wang over a housing contract dispute that involved more than 30 million yuan ($4.8 million).

The trial opened as authorities in Jiangxi's city of Pingxiang, Wang's hometown, kicked off an investigation into Wang regarding his alleged illegal medicine practices.

China Central Television on Sunday broadcast an investigative report on Wang, describing him as a fraud who made his fortune by fooling celebrities and government officials. Local authorities acknowledged on Monday that they would start investigating Wang's practices.

Zou, chairman of the Pingxiang-based Jiangxi Tianyu Fuel Group, said before the trial that he paid 5 million yuan in fees to become Wang's disciple in 2009.

Neither Zou nor Wang appeared in court on Tuesday.

A verdict has yet to be announced.