Prosecutors plan to indict a former president of public broadcaster MBC without physical detention next week for his alleged roles in a previous conservative administration's attempt to weed out reporters and entertainers critical of the government, sources said Saturday.

Kim Jae-chul, who headed MBC from 2010-2013, is known for scrapping programs critical of the then Lee Myung-bak government, firing critical reporters and producers or transferring them to irrelevant duties, and kicking liberal-leaning celebrities out of TV programs. 

Prosecutors said their investigation has found that Kim worked with the National Intelligence Service to carry out the alleged scheme. Investigators believe that the spy agency drew up a document on ways to "normalize" MBC, and Kim ousted staff and entertainers according to the plan.

Kim has flatly rejected the charges.

In November, prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for Kim, but a court rejected the request, saying sufficient evidence has already been secured to prosecute him and that there is little possibility for him to flee. (Yonhap)