Park Geun-hye, the recently deposed president of South Korea, has been indicted on corruption and other charges.
"We have formally charged Park. with multiple offences including abuse of power, coercion, bribery and leaking state secrets", they said after wrapping up their months-long investigation. She allegedly used her presidential ties to force local firms to "donate" almost $70 million to non-profit foundations which she allegedly used for personal gain. Dozens of high-level figures, including Choi, Park's friend of 40 years, top administration officials and Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong have already been indicted and await separate criminal trials.
Park was arrested and confined to a detention facility near Seoul last month on allegations that she colluded with a confidante to extort from businesses and commit other wrongdoing.
Choi, who is currently on trial over the scandal, now faces an additional charge of bribery involving Shin.
South Korea's biggest conglomerate has already been drawn into the inquiry.
Italy rescues 2000 migrants from sea off Libya
The Italian coast guard said there were 35 rescue missions during the day on Saturday, with 15 still underway under the night sky. Leggeri recently said that NGOs rescue operations were " supporting criminal networks " of smugglers and traffickers.
She will have to face judges in prison garb and bound with rope, and the bribery charge could mean life imprisonment.
The scandal sent her once-bulletproof approval ratings to record lows with millions taking to the streets for months calling for her ouster, though she also had a loyal following from groups of mainly older rival protesters.
Park became the country's third former president to stand trial over corruption allegations, after Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo.
Ms Choi is accused of using her presidential connections to put pressure on companies to give millions of dollars in donations to non-profit foundations she controlled.
- 1998: After years of mostly avoiding the public eye, Park enters politics and wins a parliamentary seat amid public nostalgia for her father at a time when South Korea was being battered by the Asian financial crisis. It is still unclear if the trial will start before a May 9 special election that will determine her successor. Lee denied the charges against him, saying that he sought no favor from Park's government in return for money Samsung admitted contributing to support Choi's foundations and her daughter.
Comments