South Korean ex-president claims his bribery indictment ‘unjust’

South Korea’s erstwhile president Moon Jae-in claimed Friday that prosecutors abused their power, were politically motivated and “unjust” to indict him connected bribery charges.

Moon, known for his dovish attack to North Korea and peacemaking efforts, was indicted Thursday successful a lawsuit linked his ex-son-in-law’s employment astatine a Thai airline.

The lawsuit adds different furniture to the governmental turmoil engulfing South Korea, wherever drawback elections had to beryllium called pursuing Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment for declaring martial law.

Former president Moon, 72, is accused of accepting a bribe of $151,000 done his erstwhile son-in-law’s employment astatine the airline, on with the wage and surviving expenses provided by it.

The company, low-cost hose Thai Eastar Jet, was controlled by a erstwhile MP from Moon’s party, who was allegedly seeking to summation favour with the then-president.

But during a televised gathering with the National Assembly Speaker connected Friday, Moon said that “not lone is the indictment itself unjust, but I besides felt that the prosecution was conscionable pushing it done successful a pre-determined direction, nary substance what.”

He called the lawsuit “a precise wide exmaple of the prosecution being politicised”.

According to prosecutors, Moon’s ex-son-in-law was appointed managing manager of Thai Eastar Jet “despite lacking immoderate applicable acquisition oregon qualifications successful the hose industry”.

They added that helium often took extended permission and handled lone basal tasks, specified arsenic sending emails was was unemployed earlier joining the airline.

Political revenge is simply a recurring taxable successful South Korea’s landscape.

The country’s lone 2 different surviving erstwhile presidents, Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, person some been recovered blameworthy of corruption and spent clip down bars.

Prosecutors are besides presently investigating a banal terms manipulation lawsuit allegedly involving erstwhile archetypal woman Kim Keon Hee, the woman of blimpish ex-president Yoon.

Moon, who portion successful bureau brokered talks betwixt Pyongyang’s person Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump during his archetypal term, remains an influential fig successful his liberal-leaning Democratic Party (DP).

Lee Jae-myung, presently the DP’s strongest statesmanlike candidate, is starring the contention by a double-digit borderline implicit contenders from ex-president Yoon’s scandal-tainted blimpish People Power Party (PPP).