SEOUL--South Korea's former leader Park Geun-hye abused her power and pressured companies to pay her tens of millions of dollars in bribes, a prosecutor told a Seoul court at the start of her corruption trial on Tuesday.
If found guilty of taking bribes from business leaders including Samsung Group scion Jay Y. Lee, one of the key accusations that led to her impeachment, Park faces more than 10 years in jail. Park, the country's first democratically elected leader to be removed from office, is charged with taking bribes worth about 29.8 billion won ($26.65 million) from Lee alone.
"The accused Park Geun-Hye, in collusion with her friend Choi Soon-Sil...abused power and pressured business companies to provide bribes, thus taking private gains," senior prosecutor Lee Won-Seok told the court. "The accused deny even the most basic facts but the charges are fully supported by material evidence and testimonies."
Park has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty at the trial. Her lawyers rejected the 18 charges against her in pre-trial proceedings. Lee has also rejected charges he bribed Park in return for favours for Samsung.
"There was no reason for president Park to force companies to donate money which she was unable to use for herself," Park's lawyer Yoo Yeong-Ha told the court.
"There were no monetary gains she could have had personally from the establishment of the two foundations, as no individuals could freely take funds from the foundations," said Yoo, referring to two sporting foundations formed to support Park's policies.
Park's court appearance is the first time she has been seen in public since her arrest in March. She arrived at court handcuffed and wearing a navy pantsuit, her hair held back in a haphazard bun and her face showing little sign of make-up.
In the courtroom she sat grim faced, her eyes puffy and looking straight ahead, next to a lawyer sitting with Choi Soon-sil, the friend accused of colluding with Park to take bribes. The two, who are being reunited for the first time since the scandal erupted in public in late October, did not acknowledge each other or exchange words as they entered the courtroom.
Media reported Park said she did not want a jury trial. Defendants have the right to be tried by a jury although its decision is not binding and can be changed by the presiding judge. Park said little during the first day of her trial, conferring quietly with her lawyer Yoo.
