Park refuses order to testify in Samsung heir’s trial

SEOUL: South Korea’s disgraced former president Park Geun-Hye on Wednesday again refused to testify in the corruption trial of the heir to the Samsung business empire, citing poor health.

For the second time in a fortnight Park rejected a court order to give evidence in the case of Lee JaeYong, the vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics.

Lee is accused of bribery, corruption, perjury and other offences stemming from a wideranging scandal that saw Park herself impeached and arrested. Four other Samsung executives have also been charged.

Park, now in the Seoul detention centre and on trial separately, has been complaining of exhaustion and a toe injury that has left her limping slightly.

Defence lawyers say her hectic trial schedule — which forces her to appear in court four days per week for up to 10 hours — coupled with confinement during sultry weather, have taken a toll on her health.

“We visited the accused in the Seoul detention centre this morning to have her testify in court but she, again citing health reasons, refused to comply with the summons,” a prosecutor was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.

Senior Judge Kim Jin-Dong said Tuesday he planned to finish Lee’s trial next month. He denies the charges.

Prosecutors will make their sentence demand on August 4 and a verdict is likely two weeks after that, a court spokesman said.