SEOUL, Aug 29 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- A special counsel team on Friday indicted former first lady Kim Keon Hee on charges of corruption and bribery, making her the first spouse of a former president to stand trial under custody, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Kim, the wife of ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, was indicted with physical detention on charges of violating the Capital Market Act, the Political Funds Act and a law on the acceptance of bribes for mediation, special counsel Min Joong-ki's team said in a notice to the press.
Specifically, she is accused of providing funds for a stock manipulation scheme from 2009-2012, and receiving free opinion polls together with her husband from a self-proclaimed power broker ahead of the presidential election in 2022 in exchange for securing the nomination of former People Power Party Rep. Kim Young-sun for a parliamentary by-election later that year.
Additionally, she is suspected of receiving luxury gifts from the Unification Church through a shaman in exchange for business favours in 2022.
The indictment was filed two days before her pretrial arrest expires, keeping her in custody for another six months at most.
Her detention could be extended in the event the special counsel obtains a new arrest warrant on additional charges before the six-month period is up.
The team placed her under arrest on Aug 12 after obtaining a warrant on the same charges as those listed in the indictment.
Kim's indictment makes her and her husband the first former presidential couple to stand trial under arrest simultaneously, as Yoon is also jailed and being tried on insurrection charges over his failed attempt to impose martial law in December.
The special counsel team has questioned Kim in person five times since her arrest, though she reportedly mostly exercised her right to remain silent.
The team has also widened the scope of its investigation since its launch two months ago, including through raids the previous day on several people suspected of providing jewellery to Kim in exchange for personnel appointments or business favours.
-- BERNAMA-YONHAP
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