Page 10 - aruba-today-20180407

A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 7 april 2018
Ex-S. Korean leader Park gets 24-year prison term

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM Both Park and prosecutors also convicted of passing
TONG-HYUNG — who had demanded a on presidential documents
Associated Press 30-year sentence — have with sensitive information to
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — one week to appeal. Choi via one of her presi-
Former South Korean Presi- Park's lawyer, Kang Che- dential aides.
dent Park Geun-hye was ol-gu, called the 24-year The scandal has already
formally convicted of an prison term "very bad" and led to the arrests, indict-
array of corruption charges said the legal team will de- ments and convictions of
and sentenced to 24 years cide whether to appeal dozens of high-profile gov-
in prison on Friday, a year after confirming her willing- ernment officials and busi-
after she was driven from ness. ness leaders. Choi is serving
office and arrested over a The court convicted Park a 20-year prison term; Sam-
scandal that saw months of of colluding with longtime sung scion Lee Jae-yong
massive street rallies calling confidante Choi Soon-sil to was initially sentenced to
for her ouster. pressure 18 business groups five years in prison before
The conviction, which she to donate a total of 77.4 bil- his sentence was suspend-
can appeal, is the latest lion won ($72.3 million) for ed on appeal; and Lotte
indignity for South Korea's the launch of two founda- chairman Shin Dong-bin
first female president, who In this Oct. 10, 2017, file photo, former South Korean President tions controlled by Choi. was given 2½ years in pris-
Park Geun-hye, left, arrives to attend a hearing on the exten-
grew up in the presidential sion of her detention at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, The two women were also on. Park has a small group
palace as the daughter of South Korea. convicted of taking bribes of fierce supporters — most
a former dictator and even Associated Press from some of those com- of them middle aged and
served as first lady after her panies, including more older — who regularly
mother's assassination. The and bribery, extortion and strictly responsible for her than 7 billion won ($6.5 mil- stage rallies calling for her
harshness of the sentence is other allegations. crimes, if only to prevent lion) alone from Samsung. release and after the ver-
likely to deepen divisions in Park, 66, maintains she's a the unfortunate event of a Prosecutors previously al- dict was broadcast, thou-
a country still wrestling with victim of "political revenge" president abusing the pow- leged that Samsung's sands of them marched
the aftermath of the most and has been refusing to er granted by the people bribe was aimed at getting near the Seoul court to pro-
serious political turmoil in attend court sessions since and throwing state affairs government support for a test the ruling. They waved
years. October. She didn't attend into chaos from happening smooth company leader- South Korean and U.S. flags
Once seen as the darling Friday's verdict, citing a again," chief judge Kim Se- ship transition, but the court and held signs that read,
of South Korean conser- sickness that wasn't speci- yun said. said there was not enough among other things, "Stop
vatives, Park earned the fied publicly. Kim said Park has shown no evidence to prove that murderous political re-
nickname "Queen of Elec- In a nationally televised remorse for her wrongdo- Samsung sought such favor venge!"
tions" for her record lead- verdict, the Seoul Central ing and continued to pass from the government. "Release (President Park)
ing her party to victory in District Court convicted responsibility to others with The court said Park collud- immediately!" the marchers
tight races, culminating in Park of bribery, extortion, "unconvincing excuses." ed with senior government chanted as they walked
her own election as presi- abuse of power and other Along with the prison sen- officials to blacklist artists between thick lines of po-
dent in 2012. Yet that was charges. tence, Kim said Park was critical of her government lice officers. There were no
all undone by the scandal "It's inevitable that the de- also fined 18 billion won to deny them state assis- immediate reports of major
involving a close confidant fendant should be held ($16.8 million). tance programs. Park was clashes or injuries.q

Rape victim wants Japan to do more on U.S. military crimes

longtime Japan resident, and the matter is now con- nese woman. A sticking
was raped in 2002, and cluded," Flynn said. point has been that, at the
awarded damages by a Fisher is now demanding time of the murder, Ken-
Japanese civil court. Japa- compensation for the fam- neth Shinzato was working
nese prosecutors however ily of a Japanese woman as a U.S. military contrac-
refused to pursue criminal in whose death a former tor and was no longer a
charges. Marine was convicted last Marine. Fisher demanded
She tracked the sailor she year, as well as for other the Japanese government
accused of assaulting her victims. give compensation im-
on her own because he Such crimes by U.S. military mediately, and not wait
had already left for the U.S. personnel have set off an- for a U.S. decision. She has
Fisher sued Bloke Deans in ger although their immunity been a rare proponent
Wisconsin Circuit Court in from Japanese prosecution and counsel for women in
2012 to claim the damag- has gradually decreased. Japan, where rape victims
es awarded in Japan. She "You must and you can do tend to stay silent.
won in 2013, but demand- something. Everybody else Although opinion may be
Catherine Fisher of Australia speaks during a meeting with Jap-
anese government officials in Tokyo, Friday, April 6, 2018. ed only $1 — to make a is doing something except divided about the pres-
Associated Press point, she says. for the Japanese govern- ence of U.S. troops in Japan
Deans denied he assaulted ment," she said. under a bilateral treaty,
By YURI KAGEYAMA here. Fisher but acknowledged Takahiro Suzuki, a deputy there was no disagreement
TOKYO (AP) — A woman Catherine Fisher met for in the U.S. settlement "the director at the Ministry of that murder and rape were
who says she was raped by an hour Friday with foreign evidence may prove oth- Foreign Affairs, told Fisher wrong, she said.
a U.S. sailor in Japan is de- and defense ministry offi- erwise," according to doc- negotiations were under- "You couldn't stop that,"
manding Tokyo do more to cials in the Japanese par- uments provided by his way with the U.S. to win she told the officials of the
protect crime victims of U.S. liament. attorney, Alex Flynn. "Mr. compensation for the fam- crime. "You have to take
military personnel stationed Fisher, an Australian and Deans has paid that dollar ily of the murdered Japa- responsibility."q