S. Korean court ends hearing on ex-President's arrest

A South Korean court on Thursday ended the longest-ever hearing here on a warrant to arrest ousted President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached earlier this month.

For security reasons, Park was driven in the early forenoon to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' office, a building next to the Seoul Central District Court, where she appealed to a judge, Xinhua news agency reported.

The special investigation headquarters of the Seoul prosecutors' office, in charge of the probe into a corruption scandal embroiling Park, 65, said that the former leader will wait for the court's decision at a temporary detention unit on the 10th floor of the office.

The decision is widely forecast to be made early on Friday as a number of charges were levelled against Park.

Prosecutors have already identified Park as an accomplice to her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil, who is now in custody, for multiple charges including bribery, abuse of authority, coercion and the leakage of confidential documents.

Park was grilled by prosecutors last week as she lost immunity from criminal prosecution while in office.

She was permanently removed from office on March 10 in a historic ruling to uphold the impeachment motion against her.

Prosecutors sought to arrest Park earlier this week.

If issued the arrest warrant, Park would be the third South Korean former leader to be taken into custody.

--IANS

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