Ousted S.Korean President interrogated in prison

Seoul April 4 (IANS) South Korean prosecutors on Tuesday interrogated ousted President Park Geun-hye for the first time since she was arrested last week over corruption allegations that removed her from office.

The questioning took place at a detention centre in Uiwang south of Seoul prosecutors said.

Park s legal representative Yoo Yeong-ha accompanied her during the interrogation Yonhap News Agency reported.

Prosecutors originally planned to question her at their office but her lawyer requested it take place at the detention house due to security issues.

Park went through a marathon interrogation by prosecutors last month and was arrested on March 31 on charges of bribery abuse of power coercion and leaking government secrets.

Park was named an accomplice in her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil s bribery allegations involving South Korea s largest business group Samsung.

The former president is also suspected of colluding with Choi in coercing nearly 80 billion won ($71 million) from dozens of local conglomerates in claimed donations to two non-profit foundations allegedly controlled by Choi.

Both Park and Choi have denied the charges.

--IANS
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