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Former S. Korean President’s friend jailed for 20 years
Seoul, Feb 13 (IANS) A Seoul court sentenced Choi Soon-sil, a close friend of former President Park Geun-hye, to 20 years in prison on Tuesday for a string of corruption charges linked to a massive influence-peddling scandal that led to Park’s impeachment.
The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Choi on charges of bribery, abuse of power and coercion. It ordered her to pay a fine of 18 billion won ($16.6 million), Yonhap news agency reported.
Choi, 62, was arrested and indicted on 18 counts of corruption in November 2016. She was accused of exploiting her ties with the former President and forcing 50 business conglomerates to pay a combined 77.4 billion won to two non-profit foundations she controlled.
She allegedly meddled in various state affairs and gained access to confidential government files even though she held no official position or authority in the Park government.
Special Counsel Park Young-soo and state prosecutors demanded 25 years in prison for Choi, with a fine of 118.2 billion won and forfeiture of 7.7 billion won. Choi has denied any wrongdoing.
The court also sentenced Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin to two-and-a-half years in jail for bribery. He was accused of donating seven billion won to Choi’s foundations in return for favour regarding Lotte’s duty-free business.
Shin was immediately taken into custody following the court ruling and ordered to forfeit the same amount he offered to Choi.
An Chong-bum, Park’s senior presidential secretary for policy coordination, was given a six-year jail term and ordered to pay 100 million won in fine for accepting bribes and involvement in Choi’s influence-peddling.
The massive scandal involving Choi and Park triggered weeks of street protests calling for Park to step down. Park’s presidency ended a year short following the Constitutional Court’s March 10 ruling on her ousting. The disgraced ex-leader has been charged as a co-conspirator in Choi’s case, pending a court verdict in late March.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.