BFF-29 Prosecutors demand 20 years in jail for ex-S.Korea president Lee

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BFF-29

POLITICS-SKOREA-CORRUPTION-LEE

Prosecutors demand 20 years in jail for ex-S.Korea president Lee

SEOUL, Sept 6, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Prosecutors demanded 20 years in prison
for former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak, the most recent of the
country’s ex-leaders to be embroiled in a criminal inquiry.

The 76-year-old former CEO turned president — who served from 2008 to
2013 — faces multiple charges including bribery, abuse of power,
embezzlement and tax evasion.

Prosecutors in the Seoul court also called for him to pay a total of 26.1
billion won ($23 million) in fines and forfeits.

The case against Lee means all four former South Korean presidents who are
still alive have been charged or convicted for criminal offences.

“The accused undermined the tenets of the constitution by taking advantage
of his authority as president for his own private gains”, prosecutors said in
a statement read at the court.

“Consequently, he became the country’s fourth president to be arrested for
criminal offences, leaving indelible marks on the constitutional history.”

Lee has been accused of accepting a total of some 11 billion won ($10.2
million) in bribes between late 2007 when he was elected president and 2012,
according to prosecutors’ documents.

The case against Lee also includes claims that the Samsung Group bought a
presidential pardon in 2009 for its chairman Lee Kun-hee, who had been
convicted of tax evasion.

Both Samsung and Lee have denied the allegations.

The money that prosecutors claim Lee took includes 1.7 billion won in
secret funds siphoned off from the country’s spy agency and some 3.5 billion
won received in return for favours, from people including business figures, a
politician and a Buddhist monk.

Separately, prosecutors claim Lee embezzled 35 billion won over 12 years
between 1994 and 2006 from DAS, an auto parts company which prosecutors claim
Lee owns in his relatives’ names.

Lee has dismissed what prosecutors say are “incriminating” documents and
testimony from his relatives and aides as “fabrications”.

The verdict and sentencing is widely expected to be made before October 8,
Yonhap news agency said.

South Korean presidents have a tendency to end up in prison after their
time in power — usually once their political rivals have moved into the
presidential Blue House.

In August an appeals court extended the sentence for Lee’s successor Park
Geun-hye to 25 years in prison for corruption and abuse of power.

Park was ousted last year over a nationwide corruption scandal that
prompted massive street protests.

Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, former army generals who served as
president through the 1980s to early 1990s, served jail terms for corruption
and treason after leaving office.

But both Chun and Roh received presidential pardons after serving about
two years.

Another former leader, Roh Moo-hyun, committed suicide in July after
becoming embroiled in a corruption probe.

BSS/AFP/FI/ 1320 hrs