ID :
190850
Fri, 06/24/2011 - 12:28
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/190850
The shortlink copeid
Court confirms jail sentence for key figure of bribery scandal
SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's appeals court confirmed a prison sentence for a former businessman convicted on bribery and tax-evasion charges on Friday, putting him back behind bars 19 months after he was released on bail.
The Seoul High Court handed down the 30-month prison term and a fine of 19 billion won (US$17.6 million) for Park Yeon-cha, former chairman of Taekwang Industrial Co., saying he deserves a heavy punishment because he actively used unlawful means for business gains.
Park is the central figure of the so-called "Park Yeon-cha gate," a high-profile bribery scandal that sparked an investigation into former President Roh Moo-hyun, his family and his former aides.
Roh, who was in office from 2003 to 2008, jumped to his death from a cliff near his retirement home in southern Korea in 2009 amid prosecutors' investigations that tarnished his image as an clean politician.
"Chairman Park's proactive use of unlawful means indicates that he thinks lightly of the law," Judge Jo Hae-Hyun said.
The latest ruling equals the jail term delivered in January 2010 by the same court. But the fine was less than the 30 billion issued at that time.
The decision, though awaiting a final decision by the Supreme Court, practically finalizes the sentence since the case was sent back from the top court for reconsideration in January this year. The top court then dismissed some of the bribery charges against Park and demanded a cut in the sum of evaded tax.
The former head of Taekwang, whose business is mainly focused on shoe making, was convicted of evading billions of capital gains tax and personal income tax by trading stocks in two subsidiaries of National Agricultural Cooperative Federation under false names.
He was also charged with giving millions of dollars in bribes to three senior secretaries of Roh and a former head of the national cooperative in order to take over major stakes in the subsidiaries, which he sold back to gain profits from price differences.
The court also canceled Park's bail, which resulted in immediate incarceration at the court. He was released on bail due to health reasons in November 2009 after serving 11 months behind bars.
pbr@yna.co.kr
The Seoul High Court handed down the 30-month prison term and a fine of 19 billion won (US$17.6 million) for Park Yeon-cha, former chairman of Taekwang Industrial Co., saying he deserves a heavy punishment because he actively used unlawful means for business gains.
Park is the central figure of the so-called "Park Yeon-cha gate," a high-profile bribery scandal that sparked an investigation into former President Roh Moo-hyun, his family and his former aides.
Roh, who was in office from 2003 to 2008, jumped to his death from a cliff near his retirement home in southern Korea in 2009 amid prosecutors' investigations that tarnished his image as an clean politician.
"Chairman Park's proactive use of unlawful means indicates that he thinks lightly of the law," Judge Jo Hae-Hyun said.
The latest ruling equals the jail term delivered in January 2010 by the same court. But the fine was less than the 30 billion issued at that time.
The decision, though awaiting a final decision by the Supreme Court, practically finalizes the sentence since the case was sent back from the top court for reconsideration in January this year. The top court then dismissed some of the bribery charges against Park and demanded a cut in the sum of evaded tax.
The former head of Taekwang, whose business is mainly focused on shoe making, was convicted of evading billions of capital gains tax and personal income tax by trading stocks in two subsidiaries of National Agricultural Cooperative Federation under false names.
He was also charged with giving millions of dollars in bribes to three senior secretaries of Roh and a former head of the national cooperative in order to take over major stakes in the subsidiaries, which he sold back to gain profits from price differences.
The court also canceled Park's bail, which resulted in immediate incarceration at the court. He was released on bail due to health reasons in November 2009 after serving 11 months behind bars.
pbr@yna.co.kr
