Former President Roh's aide convicted in bribery case

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- A top aide to the late former President Roh Moo-hyun
has drawn a heavy prison term for pocketing bribes from one of Roh's financial
supporters years ago, officials at the Seoul Central District Court said Friday.

The court sentenced Park Jung-gyu, who served as senior presidential secretary
for civil affairs from 2004 to 2005, to a three-and-a-half-year jail term. It
also ordered him to forfeit 94 million won (US$76,000) out of some 100 million
won in gift certificates he received from former Taekwang Industry Chairman Park
Yeon-cha, who is currently under arrest on bribery charges.
Roh, who served as president between 2003 and 2008, took his own life in May
after being grilled by prosecutors on charges of receiving billions of won in
bribes from the former Taekwang chairman while in office.
"Park Jung-gyu insisted that he had tried to return the gift certificates only by
calling a couple of times and that he ordered his wife to return them (to Park
Yeon-cha). But his claim of innocence was not convincing," the court ruling said.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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