Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The Seoul Central District sentenced former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to 15 years in prison.
Lee was found guilty on a series of charges, including abuse of power, corruption and embezzlement. The conservative politician was not present at hearing for health reasons.
According to the public prosecutor - who had requested 20 years of imprisonment - Lee embezzled 24.6 billion won (about US$ 22 million) whilst in office (2008-2013).
The Court ordered him to pay about US$ 20 million in fines and forfeiture.
The court also said it was not appropriate for Lee to continue denying his charges, as concrete evidence was found to back the allegations.
The former president’s legal team had been pushing liability to his aides and subordinates, saying that they had committed the crimes for their own benefit and were slandering him.
South Korean presidents seem to be destined for prison. All four living former heads of state have been convicted, in what appears to be a showdown between generations and opposing parties.
Park Geun-hye, who replaced Lee in 2013, was sentenced in 2017 to 25 years in prison; Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, former generals who ruled in the 1980s and 1990s, were jailed for corruption but benefitted from a presidential after a few years behind bars.
