A close friend of President Park Geun-hye, who is at the center of an influence-peddling scandal, slammed the special prosecutor's team as "undemocratic" on Wednesday as she appeared at its office to undergo questioning after refusing to do so for nearly a month.
Earlier in the day, the investigation team went to a detention center near Seoul to execute the arrest warrant issued against Choi Soon-sil to compel her to appear before its office for an interrogation.
"The special counsel's team is no longer democratic," Choi shouted to reporters as she was steered to an elevator at the probe team's office in southern Seoul. "They have been forcing me to confess that I colluded with President Park.
"This is so unfair," she claimed while being escorted by corrections officers.
The Seoul Central District Court on Monday issued the warrant for Choi for obstruction of duty over alleged irregularities committed in the course of her daughter's entrance to a local university and other academic affairs.
Choi, indicted for a string of corruption allegations, has already been in custody since last year, but has declined to answer the investigation team's summons, citing health issues and her own trial. She also citied a "repressive investigation" as a reason she declined to undergo the questioning.
Lee Kyung-jae (Yonhap)
The team, led by special prosecutor Park Young-soo, could not force her to appear at its office, as the detention warrant under which she is held was issued for other charges sought from the state prosecutors. The prosecution officially handed over the case to Park's team last month.MOST POPULAR