Park denies all charges to court

Geun-hye Park arrived in a handcuffed court. This is the third former president to be overwhelmed by corruption scandals. The sentence is expected within six months. A separate trial for the Samsung leaders.

Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Former President Park Geun-hye has denied all charges during her first hearing in the trial for a corruption scandal that led to her ouster in March. She is facing 18 charges of various nature, from corruption to abuse of power, coercion and violation of state secrecy.

Park arrived handcuffed to the central district court in Seoul, accompanied by prison guards. The only concession granted to her was that she was not wearing a prison uniform. It is her first public appearance since she was put into custody on March 31. "The defendants, including former President Park Geun-hye, have ignored legal proceedings and have damaged sovereignty and the rule of law for personal gains," the prosecutor said. "We will do our utmost to prove the allegations and to bring the truth to light," he concluded.

Defense attorney Yoo Yeong-ha, however, said the allegation was not based on "rigorous evidence". "Much of the evidence provided by the prosecution is newspaper articles," he explained, "I would like to find out when prosecutors use newspaper articles as evidence in criminal cases." Park said, "My position is the same as my lawyers."

Park is accused of having solicited bribes for the equivalent of US $ 52 million from large companies such as Samsung, Lotte and SK. The trial of the de facto leader of Samsung Lee Jae-yong is already under way, after his sentencing in February.

Key events in Park’s trial include the creation and management of a black list of Korean artists considered critical of the government in order to remove state subsidies. As well as pressures on local businesses to sign commercial contracts with Park and her friend Choi Soon-sil or to donate to special non-profit political and cultural foundations created ad hoc to launder the money.

Park is the third former president of the country to run into allegations of corruption in court. Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo were tried and sentenced in 1996-97. However Park is the first democratically elected leader to face trial since the two previous cases involved former military dictators. Park is also the daughter of a dictator. Not to mention that even former President Roh Moo-hyun, mentor of the new leader of Moon Moon Jae-in, killed himself following an interrogation on the basis of allegations of corruption. The tribunal must conclude before the detention expires six months after the formalization of the indictment, which took place on 17 April. The second hearing is scheduled for Thursday. The court plans to hold two or three hearings a week.

• South Korea
• geun-hye park
• corruption
• moon jae-in