[Joint Press Corps.]
SEOUL -- Prosecutors sent home South Korea's conservative ex-president Lee Myung-bak Thursday after questioning him for about 21 hours for a probe into alleged corruption and other illegal activities.
Lee shrugged off questions from reporters as he left the office of prosecutors at 6:25 am (2125 GMT) Thursday morning. The interrogation was finished near midnight but it took more than six hours for Lee to review a report written by prosecutors.
Lee, 76, was called in for questioning by prosecutors Wednesday on multiple charges including bribery, embezzlement, tax evasion, breach of trust and abuse of power.
The ex-president has denied any wrongdoing, describing the probe as political retaliation for the death of his predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun, who threw himself off a mountain cliff in 2009 following a humiliating probe into alleged corruption involving his family.
Prosecutors have questioned Lee's family members and key aides. The key issue is DAS, an auto parts supplier for Hyundai Motor. There have been allegations that Lee is the real owner of DAS controlled by his elder brother and used the company to create a slush fund.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
