Seoul, Jan 19 (IANS) The anti-corruption investigation agency said Sunday that President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was formally arrested over his failed martial law bid, will be banned from meeting visitors other than his lawyers.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) made the decision after a court granted a warrant earlier in the day to formally arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over allegations of insurrection and abuse of power related to his martial law declaration on December 3, Yonhap reported.
The CIO said it has sent a document of its decision to a detention centre in Uiwang, just south of Seoul, where Yoon is in custody, citing concerns about destroying evidence.
The measure will be effective until he is indicted.
With the CIO’s move, First Lady Kim Keon Hee and other people close to Yoon will not be permitted to meet the arrested president.
Legal experts said the CIO’s decision is seen as aimed at preparing for the possibility that Yoon’s side could file a court petition to review whether his formal detention is appropriate.
The CIO said Sunday it will request Yoon to appear for questioning on Monday as he did not show up for it earlier in the day.
With the issuance of the arrest warrant, Yoon has become the first sitting president to be formally arrested.
Angry supporters of Yoon stormed into the district court that issued the warrant earlier in the day, destroying office equipment and spraying a fire extinguisher at police officers.
In a message released by his lawyers, Yoon called for his supporters to “peacefully” express their opinions though he understood their resentment.
Yoon also said he would not give up on correcting what went wrong even if it takes time, vowing that he would prove the legality of the martial law declaration during the legal proceedings.
–IANS
int/dan
