Lee Myung-bak may be arrested within hours, the fourth South Korean leader since the nation began democratic presidential elections in the late 1980s to be jailed.
A South Korean court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for yet another former president, Lee Myung-bak, on financial misconduct charges during and after his time in office.
The ruling by the Seoul Central District Court allows prosecutors to detain Lee immediately for up to 20 days before he is formally charged.
Lee is accused of taking a total of $10 million in bribes from business groups and his intelligence agency. Prosecutors say he used a private company to establish illicit slush funds totaling $33 million.
The former president, a conservative who held the office from 2008 to 2013, could soon be in jail because — as the court agreed with prosecutors — the fear is that he might destroy evidence central to a widespread investigation into his activities and those of his close family and associates.
He is the fourth South Korean leader since the nation began democratic presidential elections in the late 1980s to face jail time.
Lee, 76, joins his successor, Park Geun-hye, who was impeached, ousted and jailed last year and faces a lengthy prison sentence on corruption charges if convicted.
The charges against Lee represent a stunning fall from the top echelons of South Korean society, business and politics. The former president was a top executive at Hyundai, among the nation’s largest companies, before winning election as mayor of Seoul, the capital, and ultimately the presidency.
