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| Former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo speaks to reporters in front of the Seoul Central District Court, Friday, after he was found guilty of having received 30 million won ($27,000) from Sung Wan-jong, a business man who killed himself last year. Lee was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for two years. / Yonhap |
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo was sentenced to eight months in jail, suspended for two years, after being found guilty of taking bribes from a businessman who committed suicide.
He was also ordered to pay 30 million won ($27,000) in forfeiture.
According to the Seoul Central District Court, Friday, Lee was convicted of accepting 30 million ($27,000) in cash from Sung Woan-jong, the late former chairman of the construction company Keangnam Enterprises, at his election office in 2013
"Evidence including Sung's interview records, and a reporter and his secretaries' testimonies are believed to be authentic," the court said in its ruling.
The court acknowledged the interview record as evidence although it only admitted testimonies at the trial.
"We found that there were detailed circumstances which prove the reliability of Sung's testimony without false interference from others," the court said.
The former prime minister was one of eight high-profile politicians listed on a memo, which Sung left behind before killing himself on April 9, last year.
Lee immediately denied the allegation against him, claiming that he did not know Sung very well and never met him in person but then resigned from the prime minister post on April 27, only two months after taking the position.
The prosecution then indicted Lee without detention in July for accepting a bribe from Sung in April 2013 at Lee's office in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province, during his campaign in a by-election.
While the prosecution presented evidence such as surveillance camera footage showing Sung's car passing through the Buyeo tollgate and the mobile phone call log between the two, the former prime minister denied such a meeting took place.
Lee said that he will appeal but drop his bid for a parliamentary seat in April.
"I will lodge an appeal to prove my innocence," Lee said after the ruling. "Separate from the ruling, I will not run in the upcoming general election in April."
South Gyeongsang Province Governor Hong Joon-pyo, another figure included on the bribery list of eight, was also indicted without detention in July as well.
He was also accused of receiving 100 million won from the late businessman through a former company executive in June 2011. Two hearings have been held since then.
The other six were: Rep. Hong Moon-jong of the ruling Saenuri Party; Busan Mayor Seo Byung-soo; Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok; presidential Chief of Staff Lee Byung-kee; and two former chiefs of staff, Huh Tae-yeol and Kim Ki-choon.
The six were not indicted. Sung hanged himself before a court hearing over the issuing of an arrest warrant for him on embezzlement charges.
