By Lee Kyung-min
Former President Lee Myung-bak will remain in custody until April 10 after a district court granted a request for a 10-day extension on Thursday, two days before the first arrest warrant was set to expire today. Lee was arrested March 22 on 12 charges, including bribery involving 11 billion won ($10 million) and embezzlement of 35 billion won.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said Friday it filed the motion a day earlier in accordance with the Criminal Law, under which prosecutors can seek to detain a suspect for 20 days by extending the first 10-day detention. Seoul Central District Court recognized the prosecution's claim that Lee should remain in custody given his continued refusal to submit to questioning and the volumes of evidence to review, including statements secured from witnesses, within a limited time. Prosecutors must indict Lee before April 10, or release him.
The largely expected extension came despite a letter of protest from Lee's attorneys who claimed the time constraint request lacked merit. "The prosecution had time to investigate the case fully and thoroughly to determine whether to indict Lee who is in custody," they said in a statement. "The suspect is looking forward to defending himself in a trial where a court gives him the chance to explain about the charges leveled against him. We strongly urge the court not to grant the extension simply because Lee invoked his right against self-incrimination. Lee is already highly doubtful about whether the investigation is fair."
The statement is in line with Lee's earlier refusal to attend a March 20 court hearing thereby refusing the opportunity to clarify his stance on the criminal charges before a judge issued an arrest warrant. While the claimed reason for not attending was because he had already made the same statements during questioning at the prosecutors' district office March 14, legal experts and political pundits said it was a move to drum up support and sympathy from conservatives by reinforcing the "political retaliation" reason for the investigation.
The much-repeated suggestion by Lee and many right-wing politicians stemmed from a particularly close friendship between President Moon Jae-in and former President Roh Moo-hyun, who committed suicide during amid a prosecution investigation into alleged bribery involving his family members in May 2009, a year after Lee took office.
Most of those who followed Roh's legacy believed he was left with few options following what they dubbed "harsh and dehumanizing" questioning, led by Woo Byung-woo, then a senior prosecutor who later served as presidential secretary for civil affairs under the Park Geun-hye administration. Woo allegedly said, "You are not here as a former president, nor are you here as my senior colleague for passing the state-administered bar exam. You are nothing but a suspected criminal sitting here over a bribery allegation," a remark he claimed he never made.
On March 26, Lee, through his aide, posted commemorative remarks for victims of the sinking of the frigate Cheonan in which 46 South Korean soldiers were killed in 2010, the bombardment of Yeonpyeong Island and landmine explosions in the demilitarized zone masterminded by North Korea. The "deliberate move," political watchers said, was to fan anti-North Korea sentiment among conservatives and young people thereby diverting the focus away from his alleged corruption.
Former first lady Kim Yoon-ok, prosecutors added, refused to submit to questioning, a day before she was scheduled to appear at a hotel in Seoul, a pre-arranged venue for 10 hours of questioning, Wednesday. The sudden cancellation came hours after Kim prepared with her defense attorneys, Tuesday, following the determination that it would be inappropriate for her to undergo questioning while Lee maintained his earlier stance of refusing to answer questions, saying he could not expect a "fair" investigation.
Kim is suspected of spending 400 million won using a DAS corporate card between the mid-1990s and late 2007, shortly before Lee won the presidency, evidence they believe substantiates the former president was the owner of DAS. Kim used the card in local department stores and overseas duty free shops. The prosecution claimed Kim is also suspected of receiving 350 million won and clothes worth 10 million won from former Woori Financial CEO Lee Pal-sung in return for him retaining his post. Prosecutors believe former ex-President Lee exerted undue influence on the financial institution in which the government was the largest shareholder at the time.
Meanwhile, Cheonggye Foundation auditor Kim Chang-dae, a close acquaintance of Lee, recently told prosecutors that Lee owned 4.2 percent of DAS shares registered under his name. DAS is a corruption-ridden car parts company through which Lee is believed to have managed at least a 35 billion won slush fund. The admission made early this week further corroborates the prosecution's case that Lee is the real owner of DAS, a key supposition on which most of its case against Lee is based.
Former President Lee Myung-bak will remain in custody until April 10 after a district court granted a request for a 10-day extension on Thursday, two days before the first arrest warrant was set to expire today. Lee was arrested March 22 on 12 charges, including bribery involving 11 billion won ($10 million) and embezzlement of 35 billion won.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said Friday it filed the motion a day earlier in accordance with the Criminal Law, under which prosecutors can seek to detain a suspect for 20 days by extending the first 10-day detention. Seoul Central District Court recognized the prosecution's claim that Lee should remain in custody given his continued refusal to submit to questioning and the volumes of evidence to review, including statements secured from witnesses, within a limited time. Prosecutors must indict Lee before April 10, or release him.
The largely expected extension came despite a letter of protest from Lee's attorneys who claimed the time constraint request lacked merit. "The prosecution had time to investigate the case fully and thoroughly to determine whether to indict Lee who is in custody," they said in a statement. "The suspect is looking forward to defending himself in a trial where a court gives him the chance to explain about the charges leveled against him. We strongly urge the court not to grant the extension simply because Lee invoked his right against self-incrimination. Lee is already highly doubtful about whether the investigation is fair."
The statement is in line with Lee's earlier refusal to attend a March 20 court hearing thereby refusing the opportunity to clarify his stance on the criminal charges before a judge issued an arrest warrant. While the claimed reason for not attending was because he had already made the same statements during questioning at the prosecutors' district office March 14, legal experts and political pundits said it was a move to drum up support and sympathy from conservatives by reinforcing the "political retaliation" reason for the investigation.
The much-repeated suggestion by Lee and many right-wing politicians stemmed from a particularly close friendship between President Moon Jae-in and former President Roh Moo-hyun, who committed suicide during amid a prosecution investigation into alleged bribery involving his family members in May 2009, a year after Lee took office.
Most of those who followed Roh's legacy believed he was left with few options following what they dubbed "harsh and dehumanizing" questioning, led by Woo Byung-woo, then a senior prosecutor who later served as presidential secretary for civil affairs under the Park Geun-hye administration. Woo allegedly said, "You are not here as a former president, nor are you here as my senior colleague for passing the state-administered bar exam. You are nothing but a suspected criminal sitting here over a bribery allegation," a remark he claimed he never made.
On March 26, Lee, through his aide, posted commemorative remarks for victims of the sinking of the frigate Cheonan in which 46 South Korean soldiers were killed in 2010, the bombardment of Yeonpyeong Island and landmine explosions in the demilitarized zone masterminded by North Korea. The "deliberate move," political watchers said, was to fan anti-North Korea sentiment among conservatives and young people thereby diverting the focus away from his alleged corruption.
Former first lady Kim Yoon-ok, prosecutors added, refused to submit to questioning, a day before she was scheduled to appear at a hotel in Seoul, a pre-arranged venue for 10 hours of questioning, Wednesday. The sudden cancellation came hours after Kim prepared with her defense attorneys, Tuesday, following the determination that it would be inappropriate for her to undergo questioning while Lee maintained his earlier stance of refusing to answer questions, saying he could not expect a "fair" investigation.
Kim is suspected of spending 400 million won using a DAS corporate card between the mid-1990s and late 2007, shortly before Lee won the presidency, evidence they believe substantiates the former president was the owner of DAS. Kim used the card in local department stores and overseas duty free shops. The prosecution claimed Kim is also suspected of receiving 350 million won and clothes worth 10 million won from former Woori Financial CEO Lee Pal-sung in return for him retaining his post. Prosecutors believe former ex-President Lee exerted undue influence on the financial institution in which the government was the largest shareholder at the time.
Meanwhile, Cheonggye Foundation auditor Kim Chang-dae, a close acquaintance of Lee, recently told prosecutors that Lee owned 4.2 percent of DAS shares registered under his name. DAS is a corruption-ridden car parts company through which Lee is believed to have managed at least a 35 billion won slush fund. The admission made early this week further corroborates the prosecution's case that Lee is the real owner of DAS, a key supposition on which most of its case against Lee is based.
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