Choi tells the press her inquisitors are ‘unfair’

The friend of President Park Geun-hye at the center of an influence-peddling scandal accused a special prosecutor’s team of being “undemocratic” on Wednesday as she appeared for questioning after refusing to do so for nearly a month.

Earlier in the day, the investigation team went to a detention center near Seoul to execute an arrest warrant issued against Choi Soon-sil to compel her to appear before its office for an interrogation.

“The special counsel’s team is no longer democratic,” Choi shouted to reporters as she was steered to an elevator at the team’s office in southern Seoul. “They have been forcing me to confess that I colluded with President Park.

“This is so unfair,” she claimed while being escorted by corrections officers.

The Seoul Central District Court on Monday issued a warrant for Choi for obstruction of duty over alleged irregularities committed in the course of her daughter’s entrance to a local university and other academic affairs.

Choi, indicted for a string of corruption allegations, has already been in custody since last year, but has declined to answer the investigation team’s summons, citing health issues and her own trial. She also cited a “repressive investigation” as a reason she declined to undergo the questioning.

The team, led by special prosecutor Park Young-soo, could not force her to appear at its office, as the detention warrant under which she is held was issued for other charges sought from the state prosecutors. The prosecution officially handed over the case to Park’s team last month.

“Choi will cooperate with the execution,” her lawyer Lee Kyung-jae told Yonhap News Agency by phone. “Still, we hope the special investigation team carries out the interrogation in a free, not oppressive, atmosphere.”

The writ is valid for 48 hours from execution.

Yonhap