Page 8 - aruba-today-20161231

A8 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 31 december 2016
S. Korea court says Park won’t testify in impeachment trial

KIM TONG-HYUNG scandal, and the court has pressure the National Pen-
Associated Press up to six months to decide sion Service to support a
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) whether she should per- merger between two Sam-
— South Korea’s Constitu- manently step down or be sung affiliates last year.
tional Court on Friday said reinstated. During the im- The deal reduced the pen-
it cannot require President peachment trial, the court sion fund’s stake in one of
Park Geun-hye to testify in will also review lawmakers’ the companies by an es-
her impeachment trial that accusations that Park was timated hundreds of mil-
enters the argument phase responsible for media re- lions of dollars in value, but
next week, dismissing de- strictions and government allowed Samsung scion
mands by lawmakers who inaction during a 2014 ferry Lee Jae-yong to promote
voted to remove her over a sinking that killed more than a generational transfer of
corruption scandal. 300 people, mostly teenag- leadership and increase
The nine-justice court also ers on a school trip. corporate wealth at the
confirmed the dates when State prosecutors have group.
some witnesses will testify passed the investigation Samsung is one of the main
but delayed a decision on Former presidential secretary Ahn Jong-beom, center, arrives to a special prosecution companies that gave a
whether to make compa- at the office of the independent counsel in Seoul, South Korea, team, which on Friday sum- combined 77.4 billion won
nies answer whether they Friday, Dec. 30, 2016. moned an arrested former ($64 million) to two non-
were really forced into Associated Press presidential aide for the profits Choi allegedly con-
sponsoring foundations said the court needed to companies. second time this week as trolled and abused to ex-
controlled by the presi- verify facts independent of The court said there was no they focus on bribery sus- pand her personal wealth.
dent’s jailed friend, Choi the findings by state pros- way to force Park to ap- picions between Park and Choi, Ahn and Jung Ho-
Soon-sil. Lawmakers, who ecutors, who accused Park pear and the trial can pro- the Samsung Group. sung, another arrested
are the prosecutors in an of allowing Choi to interfere ceed without her. Ahn Jong-beom, Park’s for- presidential aide accused
impeachment trial, argued with government affairs South Korea’s opposition- mer senior secretary for pol- of passing on confidential
it could pressure compa- and of colluding with Choi controlled parliament icy coordination, allegedly government information to
nies. to extort money and favors voted to impeach Park on directed former Health Min- Choi, will be called to tes-
Park’s lawyers, however, ister Moon Hyung-pyo to tify Jan. 10.
from the country’s largest Dec. 9 over the corruption
China says it will shut down ivory trade by end of 2017

CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA nounced it planned to be encouraged to change
Associated Press shut down the commercial their activities and work, for
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — trade, which conservation- example, in the restoration
China says it plans to shut ists described as significant of artifacts for museums.
down its ivory trade by the because China’s vast, in- More efforts will be made
end of 2017 in a move de- creasingly affluent con- to stop the illegal trade, the
signed to curb the mass sumer market drives much statement said.
slaughter of African ele- of the elephant poaching China has allowed trade
phants. across Africa. in ivory acquired before a
The Chinese government “This is a game changer for 1989 ban on the ivory trade
will end the processing Africa’s elephants,” said Aili by the Convention on In-
and selling of ivory and Kang, the Asia director for ternational Trade in Endan-
ivory products by the end the New York-based Wild- gered Species of Wild Fau-
of March as it phases out life Conservation Society.
the legal trade, according China, which has sup- na and Flora, which seeks
to a statement released on ported an ivory-carving in- to regulate the multi-billion- In this file photo taken Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, an elephant walks
Friday. dustry as part of its cultural dollar trade in wild animals through the bush at the Southern African Wildlife College on the
China had previously an- heritage, said carvers will and plants. edge of Kruger National Park in South Africa.
Associated Press