Daily Nation Newspaper

South Korea ex-president Lee detained on graft charges

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SEOUL - South Korean former president Lee Myung-bak was detained early yesterday on charges of taking bribes when he was in office, becoming the country’s fourth leader to end up behind bars.

Lee was grilled by prosecutor­s earlier this month over nearly 20 charges that involve suspicions he took around 11 billion won ($10.28 million) unlawfully from a number of institutio­ns and individual­s He denies any wrongdoing.

A South Korean judge issued the arrest warrant late on Thursday, saying Lee could destroy evidence. The former president was driven to a detention centre in Seoul soon after midnight.

Lee, in office from 2008 to 2013, says the investigat­ion into the bribery allegation­s is politicall­y motivated by prosecutor­s under the incumbent liberal administra­tion.

Last year, Lee’s successor ex-president Park Geun-hye was ousted from office after an influence-peddling scandal and is standing trial on charges of bribery, abuse of power and coercion.

South Korean prosecutor­s are seeking a 30-year jail term for Park and a Seoul court will deliver a verdict in early April.

 ??  ?? South Korean former president Lee Myung-bak
South Korean former president Lee Myung-bak

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