Former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo denied bribery charges Friday as he was sent back home after a lengthy interrogation by prosecutors.
Lee denied the allegations that he took 30 million won ($27,000) from deceased businessman Sung Wan-jong as he was released from the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul at 1 a.m.
Emerging from the prosecution office after a 15-hour interrogation, a haggard-looking Lee denied the allegations, saying "What is true always wins ... I have never taken money." He also dismissed the cajoling charge.
Asked whether he had a one-on-one meeting with the late businessman, Lee said "I don't remember exactly because it was election time."
Prosecutors said they were considering indicting Lee and Gov. Hong next week for illegally taking political donations.
Lee was called in for the prosecution query at 10 a.m. on Thursday over the bribery scandal that also involves seven other high-profile politicians, mostly close to President Park Geun-hye.
The scandal flared up last month after Sung, a former head of a construction firm, left a memo and a recorded media interview claiming that he gave money to eight politicians including Lee and South Gyeongsang Province Governor Hong Joon-pyo as well as Park's former and current chiefs of staff.
Sung hanged himself amid a looming prosecution probe into embezzlement charges.
Amid the growing scandal, Lee stepped down in late April.
Lee is accused of taking the money from Sung while running for a parliamentary seat in 2013 and attempting to cajole potential witnesses into covering up his alleged meeting with Sung. (Yonhap)
