S. Korea's Chun to be indicted of bribery
S. Korea's Chun to be indicted of bribery
SEOUL (Reuter): South Korean prosecutors said yesterday that former president Chun Doo Hwan will be formally indicted on bribery charges today, the second former head of state to be charged with corruption in as many months.
Chun would join his successor Roh Tae-woo, who was charged with corruption in early December. They already face mutiny charges over the 1979 coup that propelled Chun to power.
"Mr Chun will be indicted. It will occur as soon as an official announcement is made on the charges at 2 p.m. (0500 GMT) tomorrow," he told Reuters.
State radio said prosecutors had determined Chun amassed more than 500 billion won (now equivalent to about US$631 million) during his 1980-88 term in office. They arrived at the figure after grilling his relatives and aides.
Chun's alleged slush fund is even larger than the 500 billion won that Roh confessed to acquiring during his 1988-93 tenure.
The radio also said three to four people close to Chun faced legal action on Friday over the alleged fund.
The domestic Yonhap news agency quoted a prosecution official as saying Chun still had about 200 billion won ($255 million) in real estate and other financial assets.
It said those to face indictment included Chun's former chief bodyguard, Ahn Hyun-tae, and Sung Yong-wok, head of the Office of National Tax Administration during Chun's term.
Both were detained on Wednesday on charges of helping Chun acquire an illegal fortune and receiving cash from businessmen in exchange for favors.
Yonhap also said Chun's former presidential economic aide Sakong Il and Ahn Moo-hyuk, a lawmaker of the ruling party and former head of the national security agency, would be indicted but not detained.
It said the two allegedly helped Chun build up his illicit funds. But they would not be detained since they did not receive bribes themselves.
In addition, prosecutors were likely to reveal names of companies that offered Chun bribes.
Chun was arrested in December and indicted on charges of leading the putsch that was followed by a massacre of pro- democracy demonstrators by troops in the southeast city of Kwangju in 1980.
He began a hunger strike on the day of his arrest in protest at what he believed was an attempt by President Kim Young-sam to destroy his political legacy. Chun abandoned the strike this month, but he is still weak.
Roh is on trial along with heads of seven business conglomerates accused of giving him 284 billion won ($359 million) in bribes.
State television on Wednesday said Ahn's arrest warrant named heads of eight business groups as giving 28 billion won ($36 million) to Chun in return for favors.
They are Miwon, Hanwha, Ssangyong, Dong Ah Construction, Daelim, Kumho, Dainong and Chinhung groups, KBS television said. The trial of Roh and the heads of the seven conglomerates is scheduled to resume on Jan. 15.