South Korean court issues warrants to detain impeached President Yoon, search his office
Seoul (AP): A South Korean court issued warrants on Tuesday to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and search his office and residence over his short-lived declaration of martial law.
The country's anti-corruption agency said it is investigating whether his declaration amounted to rebellion. But experts still say there is little chance of detention or searches unless Yoon is formally removed from office.
The Seoul Western District Court issued warrants to detain Yoon and to search the presidential office and residence in central Seoul, according to a statement from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities.
Under South Korean law, the leader of a rebellion can face the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted. Yoon has presidential immunity from most criminal prosecution, but the privilege does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.
Yoon's powers have been suspended since the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach him on December 14 over his imposition of martial law, which drew hundreds of troops and police officers into Seoul streets.
Yoon has argued his decree was a legitimate act of governance, calling it a warning to the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which he has called “a monster” and “anti-state forces” that has used its legislative majority to impeach top officials, undermine the government's budget, and which he claims sympathises with North Korea.
The Constitutional Court is to determine whether to dismiss Yoon as president or reinstate him.
Experts said Yoon is likely to ignore the warrants. He's ignored repeated requests by investigative authorities to appear for questioning, and the presidential security service has blocked attempts to search his office and residence citing a law that bans raids on sites with state secrets.
A lawyer for Yoon rejected the anti-corruption agency's request for warrants on Monday, arguing it lacked legal authority to investigate rebellion charges.
The anti-corruption agency said it has no immediate plans on how to proceed with the warrants.
“Unless Yoon voluntarily lets them detain him, there is no way to detain him,” said Choi Jin, director of the Seoul-based Institute of Presidential Leadership. “Should investigators have hand-to-hand fights with the security service?”
Choi said that investigators were still likely to visit Yoon's residence to show they are strictly and fairly carrying out their work.
Park Sung-min, president of Seoul-based political consulting firm MIN Consulting, said the push for an arrest warrant is likely an attempt to pressure Yoon to cooperate with investigations.
Former President Park Geun-hye, who was thrown out of office in 2017 following an impeachment over a corruption scandal, also refused to meet with prosecutors while in office. She underwent questioning by them and was arrested after the Constitutional Court removed her from office.
Yoon's imposition of martial law lasted only six hours but triggered huge political turmoil, halting high-level diplomacy and rattling financial markets. Despite Yoon's deployment of troops and police, enough lawmakers managed to enter the assembly chamber to overturn it unanimously.
Yoon's defence minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested over their roles in the martial law enactment.
Yoon has claimed he wasn't trying to stop the functioning of the assembly, saying that the troops were sent to maintain order, and also denied planning to arrest politicians. But comments by now-arrested commanders of military units sent to the assembly have contradicted this claim. Kwak Jong-keun, the commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, testified at the National Assembly that Yoon called on troops to “quickly knock down the door and drag out the lawmakers who are inside".
Kwak said he did not carry out Yoon's orders.
The country's political crisis deepened last Friday, when the Democratic Party and other small opposition parties voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo as well over wrangling over his refusal to fill in three justice seats at the Constitutional Court. Observers say adding more justices could affect the court's ruling on Yoon's impeachment.
The deputy prime minister and finance minister, Choi Sang-mok, has become South Korea's new interim leader.
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Woman, four daughters killed in Lucknow hotel laid to rest in Sambhal
Sambhal (UP) (PTI): The Agra woman and her four daughters who were allegedly killed by her son in a Lucknow hotel were buried in Sambhal on Friday in front of her grieving family.
The bodies were brought to Sambhal early on Friday.
Mohammad Arshad allegedly killed his mother Asma and sisters Alia (9), Aksa (16), Rahmeen (18) and Alshia (19) in a Lucknow hotel room on Wednesday, according to police.
He then shot a video in which he confessed to slitting the wrists and throats of his sisters and mother. In the 6.5-minute selfie video, Arshad further claimed his father was also involved in the killings.
The family members of Asma, who hailed from Sambhal, demanded the death penalty for Arshad.
Asma's brother Mohammad Zeeshan said, "I received a phone call from Lucknow that day. I spoke with Arshad. He said, 'Uncle I have killed the whole family,' after which the police took away the phone."
"I last spoke to my sister almost four months ago. She was very simple and loving. I want Arshad to get the harshest punishment, he should be hanged," he said.
He also demanded that Arshad's father be arrested immediately.
Arshad, who was arrested shortly after the murders, was on Thursday sent to judicial custody.
Arshad's family lived in Agra and preliminary inquiry has revealed that he took the step because of domestic disputes.
In the video, Arshad claimed that he took the extreme step due to harassment and oppression by the residents of his locality.
