Ex-MLM leader detained over abuse at academy
On.cc · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Authorities in Xinchang county in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, said Rushi Academy was operating illegally without the required registration or filing procedures and has now been shut down, with all enrolled students sent home. Police have criminally detained founder Lai Mouming and two others on suspicion of abusing persons under their care after investigators found beatings, corporal punishment and restrictions on personal freedom at the academy.
Key Points
- A joint investigation team in Xinchang issued a notice on Sunday, August 16, saying the academy had been closed and all trainees had returned home.
- Investigators said founder Lai Mouming, born in 1968 and also known as Ru Ping, was sentenced in 2002 to two years in prison for illegal business operations in Beihai, Guangxi
- Authorities found the academy had not completed legally required registration and filing, and that its operations relied mainly on six companies linked to Lai and his relatives
- The site was subleased by Lai from a private enterprise in 2016, while the linked companies were approved for cultural planning, enrolment support, health consulting and education consulting services
- Investigators said Rushi Academy ran closed training in batches through long courses, short courses and lectures under the banner of Chinese classics and etiquette
- Police said Lai, Cheng and Xie Mouyu were criminally detained on August 7 on suspicion of the crime of abusing persons under care.
- During the probe, police also uncovered other suspected illegal or criminal leads, and related cases remain under further investigation
Why It Matters
The case shows the risks families face when unlicensed institutions market themselves as education or behavioural correction services while operating behind closed doors. For Hong Kong readers, it is a reminder to scrutinise the legal status, supervision and disciplinary methods of any cross-border training or “family education” programme before enrolment.