Published : Jan. 30, 2017 - 11:55
A confidante of President Park Geun-hye at the center of a high-profile corruption scandal rejected the request by special prosecutors to undergo questioning over her bribery allegations Monday, criticizing what she calls a "coercive" probe.
The investigation team, led by Independent Counsel Park Young-soo, plans to seek yet another arrest warrant to question her, a source said, as it is accelerating its probe into the scandal that led to the impeachment of the president on Dec. 9.
Last Wednesday, the team secured an arrest warrant and brought her to its office from a detention center for questioning.
While appearing at the office, Choi lashed out at the prosecutors, calling them "undemocratic and coercive."
Choi Soon-sil is escorted to the court by a group of police officers and convoys (Yonhap)
The prosecutors dismissed Choi's criticism of their investigation as being groundless, vowing to continue a "thorough" probe into the scandal that has gripped the nation for the last several months.
Choi is alleged to have extorted money and favors from large conglomerates, including Samsung Group, using her decades-old relationship with the president. She has refuted most of the charges leveled against her and rejected claims she colluded with the president.
Some observers said Choi appears to be stalling for time by rejecting the prosecutors' call to appear for a direct inquiry.
The independent counsel team's first investigation period ends Feb 28. It can be extended by a month with the consent from Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, but it remains to be seen whether Hwang would approve of the extension.
Later in the day, the probe team plans to grill former Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun over the allegations that the Park government had created and managed a blacklist of cultural figures deemed critical of it.
It also plans to question Kim Kyung-sook, former dean of Ewha Womans University's College of Science and Industry Convergence, over the allegations the school gave undue favors to Chung Yoo-ra, Choi's daughter, related to admissions procedures and grades. (Yonhap)