S. Korea's Roh jailed on bribery charges
S. Korea's Roh jailed on bribery charges
SEOUL (Reuter): Former South Korean president Roh Tae-woo was arrested and jailed yesterday on charges of taking bribes worth more than US$300 million from business conglomerates while in office.
Roh, the first former or current head of state to be charged with a crime, was pelted with eggs as he was driven in a black limousine through the entrance of the Seoul Detention House.
"Roh Tae-woo. Thief!" several bystanders chanted at the retired four-star general who has admitted to amassing $654 million during his 1988-93 term.
Minutes earlier, Roh apologized to the nation on the steps of the Seoul Prosecutor General's office.
"I'm really sorry," he said. "I will take all responsibility and any punishment."
A 1,000-page arrest warrant said 30 tycoons gave kickbacks to Roh worth between 500 million won ($650,000) and 25 billion won ($32.5 million), according to a Seoul district court judge.
Among them were the chairmen of the powerful Daewoo group, accused of giving Roh 10 billion won ($13 million) in return for a contract to build a submarine base, and the chief executive of the Dong Ah group, a major construction concern.
"He did not admit all the bribery charges against him," the judge told reporters. "He admitted that he took money but said he could not remember exactly who gave him the money and when and where he received it."
Roh was driven to jail in the back seat of the limousine flanked by two prosecution officials.
Several dozen blue-uniformed security guards surrounded the vehicle as it passed through the high steel doors of the inner lock-up, leaving behind several hundred reporters.
Roh was given a prison number and was taken for a medical check-up. He was led to an unheated cell with guards standing 24- hour watch outside to protect him from other prisoners.
Strained
Looking strained after about 28 hours spent with prosecutors, Roh said in his apology he regretted harming South Korea's business community. He was not handcuffed.
"What really hurts is that many businessmen have suffered because of me. I hope you give them help and encouragement not to lag behind in international competitiveness," he said in stern, measured tones.
He said he hoped good could come out of the scandal.
"I hope politicians will clean away distrust and feuding among themselves and establish a new political culture through compromise, mutual understanding and cooperation for our successors," he said.
South Koreans, furious at corruption and greed among politicians, gloated at news of Roh's demise, with many calling him a crook who deserved no pity.
"He is a thief and he deserves to be arrested," said businessman Kim Dae-kyu.
"It's sad that a former president has to go to prison, but he has to be punished," said one of Roh's neighbors.
Roh was hauled before prosecutors on Wednesday, one day after threatening to spill the beans on his financing of the 1992 presidential election campaign.
Veteran opposition Kim Dae-jung has admitted accepting $2.6 million from Roh and has announced a "do or die" war against his archrival President Kim Young-sam, who he alleges took hundreds of millions of dollars.
President Kim has said he did not receive "a single cent".
As Roh arrived in jail, the domestic Yonhap news agency quoted Kim as saying "it is an unhappy and shameful incident".