“Dozens are MB” Lee Myung-bak’s prison sentence was upheld for 17 years and the conditions for clemency were also met.

Former President Lee Myung-bak was present at the appeals court hearing on February 19. On the 29th, the Supreme Court sentenced former President Lee to 17 years in prison.[뉴스1]

DAS, an auto parts company, belonged to former president Lee Myung-bak (79). The second part of the Supreme Court (presiding judge Park Sang-ok) was sentenced to 17 years in prison by former President Lee Myung-bak, who was charged with embezzlement, bribery and loss of treasury, including embezzlement of 25 , 2 billion won in Das and the receipt of bribes of approximately 8.9 billion won from Samsung Group. The court ruling sentenced 5.78 billion won in billions and additional fines were upheld.

The Supreme Court refused to accept the accusations of former President Lee, who denied the charges, saying: “There is no fault in the conclusion of the trial on the charges of embezzlement and bribery.” Lawyer Kang Hoon (66), former President Lee’s lawyer, protested that it was “a trial without evidence of bribery.”

The Supreme Court also rejected the reversal of the decision to vacate the bail of the appeal trial filed by former President Lee. As a result, former President Lee, whose execution was suspended after bail was canceled, must return to prison. When the older brother was confirmed, former President Lee also fulfilled the conditions of a ‘special pardon for the president’.

In accordance with the relevant prosecution regulations, former President Lee has time to clean up his personal affairs until 6 p.m. on the 30th, the day after the ruling. The prosecution said: “The exact moment of the stay of execution has not yet been determined.” Former President Lee, who was arrested for the first time in March 2018, was released after living in a prison for about a year.

Former President Lee Myung-bak (Won Ahn), who was released from prison for the execution of his sentence six days after being arrested in an appeal trial in February last year, is transferred to a waiting vehicle from the Center Eastern Detention Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 25th. [뉴시스]

Former President Lee was accused of embezzling company funds as a beneficial owner of a dozen to raise funds for bribes and receiving bribes from the Samsung Group, such as overseas Dozen related litigation fees, in exchange for the pardon of the late president of Samsung Electronics , Lee Kun-hee, Lee Pal-seong, former Woori Financial Group. The president and former legislator Kim So-nam were accused of accepting bribes in exchange for public office and the loss of the government treasury by receiving special expenses from the NIS.

The first trial judge, Gye-seon Jeong (51), the then chief judge of the Seoul Central District Court (currently abiding by the Seoul Western District Law), condemned the first trial in October 2018, saying: “The defendant is fully recognized as a dozen beneficial owners.” This ruling was maintained until the Supreme Court ruling. This is the end of the dozen or so beneficial ownership debates of the 17th presidential election. Judge Chung had sentenced former President Lee to 15 years in prison, a fine of 13 billion won, and an additional fine of 8.2 billion won.

Deputy Judge Jeong Gye-seon, who ruled the first trial against former President Lee Myung-bak in October 2018. [연합뉴스]

Jung Joon-young (53), chief judge of the Seoul High Court, who was the judge of the second trial confirmed by the Supreme Court, upheld the broad guilt framework admitted in the first trial. However, dozens of embezzlements and bribes from the Samsung Group increased, and bribery of former President Lee Pal-seong and former legislator Kim So-nam was drastically reduced. Samsung’s bribery increased because the prosecution changed the complaint and increased the bribery due to additional reports on related criminal charges through the National Rights Commission during the appeal trial.

The amount of embezzlement by Das also increased from 24.7 billion won to 25.2 billion won, as the false payment and purchase of Equus (500 million won) were also recognized in the second trial. On the other hand, on charges of receiving 2,262.3 million won from Lee Myung-bak, who served as chairman of Woori Financial Group during Lee Myung-bak’s administration, only 212.30 million won were admitted at the second trial. , unlike the first trial, which recognized 1.9 billion won on the charge of receiving 2,262.3 million won before and after the election. The second trial court did not admit the 450 million won bribe received before that, as former President Lee belonged to the “government official” after the Grand National Party victory. In the case of the remaining bribery that was admitted in the first trial, the evidence of prior request was considered insufficient.

In May 2010, at the Blue House inviting financiers to a luncheon, then-Chairman Lee Myung-bak (left) shakes hands with then-Chairman Lee Pal-seong of Woori Financial Group. [청와대사진기자단]

In the case of former legislator Sonam Kim, who had applied for the position of proportional representative of the National Assembly, a 400 million won bribe was recognized at the first trial. However, the second trial found that the 200 million won, money received before the president’s inauguration, lacked evidence of illegal solicitation. Former President Lee was convicted of alleged loss of the government treasury for receiving 600 million won in special expenses from the NIS. At the time, the head of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) Won Se-hoon was charged with bribery even though he personally gave more than $ 100,000 in special expenses to the NIS during his overseas trip to the former president.

As a result of the second trial, the amount of bribes received by former President Lee dropped somewhat, and the amount of bribes applied to dozens of overseas litigation expenses increased. As a result, former President Lee’s sentence increased by two years, from 15 to 17 years, and the amount of the personal penalty decreased from 8.2 billion won to 5.78 billion won. The fine was the same as 13 billion won.

Former President Park Geun-hye entered Seoul’s St. Mary Hospital in September last year to undergo shoulder surgery. [연합뉴스]

It seems like a dark day for former President Lee. However, former President Lee’s sentence was upheld by the ruling that day, and the condition of ‘special pardon for the president’ was met. In the case of former President Park Geun-hye (68), who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a repatriation trial in July, the prosecution has again appealed to the Supreme Court, saying: “The sentence is too low “. The conclusion of the Supreme Court ruling is expected to be published no later than early next year. If the Supreme Court does not accept the reopening of the indictment, former President Park may also be subject to a special pardon.

Reporter Park Tae-in [email protected]