SEOUL, Sept 11 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- A Seoul court on Friday acquitted former President Yoon Suk Yeol of charges of helping a former defence minister evade a criminal investigation by naming him ambassador to Australia in 2023, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The Seoul Central District Court delivered the verdict after finding Yoon not guilty of multiple charges brought by special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon's team, including aiding a criminal's flight and abuse of power.
The team had sought a five-year prison term for Yoon, accusing him of ordering the appointment of former Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup as ambassador to Australia in November 2023 to help him evade an investigation into the alleged cover-up of a Marine's death earlier that year.
The team argued that Yoon tried to send the former defence minister abroad to prevent the investigation from reaching Yoon himself as well. Lee left for Australia in March 2024 but returned only days after due to the controversy.
The court ruled that Yoon's instructions to appoint Lee could not be definitively seen as having intent to interfere with the investigation.
It said there is room to see the orders as a head of state exercising his authority over personnel decisions and could not be seen as "rashly" replacing the preceding ambassador with the former minister.
-- BERNAMA-YONHAP
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