South Korea charges ousted leader Park and Lotte chief with bribery

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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.

Prosecutors also charged Shin Dong-Bin, the chairman of the giant Lotte Group, yesterday with bribing Choi and Park.

Her indictment Monday, a widely expected follow-up to her arrest, will prompt the Seoul Central District Court to open a trial. She has repeatedly apologised for the upset caused by the scandal but never admitted any wrongdoing, blaming Choi for abusing their friendship. Park has been questioned nearly half-a-dozen times for these charges since her detainment.

On March 10, the South Korean Constitutional Court upheld the December 2016 parliamentary decision to impeach Park over a corruption scandal involving Choi, who allegedly was allowed to meddle in state affairs without holding any official post.

A historic leader from a South Korean political dynasty, Park was forced from office in March amid a massive corruption scandal that engulfed not just her government but major worldwide companies such as Samsung and Lotte.

Both Lee and Shin, as BBC reported, have denied the allegations.

Ms Park was given permission to stay in one of the Seoul Detention Centre's prison guard offices for two days, while maintenance work was underway in the cell where she is now being held, the Yonhap news agency reported.

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Prosecutors started investigating Park in late October, but she stalled the probe at every turn and refused to submit to questioning until she had been officially booted out of office.

Lotte, which has also denied the allegations, said it did not make any improper deals with Park or any of her confidantes for any favour.

She was indicted Monday on counts of bribery, abuse of power, coercion and sharing state secrets.

Park's scandal triggered huge political turmoil in South Korea, with millions taking to the streets to call for her ouster for months before her supporters launched their own protests.

Lotte, South Korea's fifth-biggest conglomerate, is grappling with the Chinese shutdown of dozens of its stores in China after it agreed to provide land for the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system outside Seoul. Choi and the company's top executive, Lee Jae-yong, were also under arrest and on trial.

Park Chung-hee's 18-year rule ended when he was gunned down by his intelligence chief in 1979, five years after his wife was killed during an assassination attempt on his life.

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