Politics
22:12, 22-Mar-2018
Arrest warrant issued for S. Korea’s ex-President Lee Myung-bak
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A Seoul court issued an arrest warrant on Thursday for former President Lee Myung-bak, reported Yonhap.
Lee, who was president from 2008 to 2013, is facing a string of corruption allegations, including bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.
South Korean prosecutors suspected that Lee took around 11 billion won (10.3 billion US dollars) in an illicit manner from a number of institutions and individuals and created slush funds worth 34 billion won (32 million US dollars).
Last week, the 76-year-old was questioned by police for more than 21 hours over two days.
He has denied most corruption charges but admitted taking 106 million won (100,000 US dollars) from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) while in office, according to the prosecutors after the marathon interrogation.
A hearing on Lee's arrest was scheduled for early Thursday. The court however canceled it on Wednesday, after Lee refused to attend and the prosecution decided not to force him to appear.