Japanese prosecutors yesterday charged the founder of a foot-reading cult with fraud for telling five housewives they would get cancer unless they handed over thousands of dollars.

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office lodged an indictment against 55-year-old Hogen Fukunaga, founder of Ho-no-Hana Sanpogyo sect, with the Tokyo District Court, a court spokesman said.

The sect allegedly obtained a total of 25.02 million yen (US$236,000) from five former members, all housewives, from December 1994 to August 1996.

(China Daily 2000/05/30)