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| Former President Lee Myung-bak leaves Seoul Eastern Detention Center after being released on bail, Wednesday, 349 days after he was arrested on multiple corruption charges. Lee is awaiting the result of an appeal after a lower court earlier sentenced him to 15 years in prison. / Yonhap |
By Lee Suh-yoon
After 349 days under arrest, former President Lee Myung-bak was released on bail by a high court, Wednesday, amid his ongoing criminal trial on multiple corruption charges.
The bail was granted under strict conditions, including the equivalent of a house arrest.
The house arrest condition was imposed to allow law enforcement to monitor the former president's contacts, as the detention order imposed while Lee awaited a ruling by Seoul High Court expires April 9. If this occurred, he would have been free to contact anybody without supervision, raising concerns about the destruction of evidence related to the appeal and pending trials, and possible witness tampering.
Lee is the first former president to be arrested and released on bail. Lee's lawyers submitted the request for bail Jan. 29.
In accepting the request the Seoul High Court ruled that Lee must stay inside his residence at all times with unrestricted visitation granted only to his family and legal representatives. Visits by other individuals or Lee going to a hospital must receive prior permission from the court to ensure there is no possibility of him contacting key witnesses who could influence the trials.
"If Lee is freed after the detention period expires, Lee's residency or personal contact with others cannot be monitored," presiding Judge Jung Jun-young said. "By allowing release on bail, the arrest warrant will technically remain in effect and Lee can be sent back to the detention center if he breaks any of the conditions."
The court also ordered Lee to pay 1 billion won ($886,000) as a security deposit. Lee accepted the terms, and left Seoul Eastern Detention Center later that day.
Lee, a former Hyundai executive and president from 2008 to 2013, was arrested in March last year for allegedly accepting millions of won in bribes from Samsung in return for political favors, and embezzling funds from an auto-parts firm set up under his relatives' names. A local court sentenced Lee to 15 years imprisonment in October.
