[Photo] Lee Myung-bak to take the perp walk on Mar. 14

Former President Lee Myung-bak coughs during a press conference held on Jan. 17. Lee has claimed that the prosecutorial investigation against him is, “political retribution.”

Former president Lee Myung-bak received a long-awaited prosecutor’s summons on Mar. 6 in regards to allegations that he received nearly US$10 million in bribes from various South Korean companies during his time in office. These include suspected payments of more than $5 million from Samsung to a US law firm on Lee’s behalf. Lee is scheduled to appear before prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office on Mar. 14.

In related news, prosecutors issued a second summons to Lee’s eldest brother, Lee Sang-deuk in connection with the bribery investigation. Prosecutors suspect the elder Lee of being a conduit for the transmission of illegal funds to the former president beginning in 2007. Lee was originally scheduled to speak with prosecutors on Jan. 26, but the meeting was postponed due to his poor health condition. (by Baek So-ah, staff reporter)