A South Korean court on Friday sentenced the impeached President Park Geun-hye to 24 years in jail with a fine of 18 billion won (17 million U.S. dollars) for corruption.

The court found Park guilty of bribery over a scandal that exposed webs of corruption between political leaders and the country’s conglomerates.

The court ruled that Park colluded with her old friend, Choi Soon-sil, to receive tens of billions of won from major conglomerates such as Samsung and Lotte to help Choi’s family and fund non-profit foundations owned by her.

Park, 66, has denied wrongdoing and was not present in court.

Prosecutors initially sought a 30-year sentence and a 118.5 billion won (112 million dollars) fine for Park, after indicting her on charges that included bribery, abuse of power and coercion.

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Tags : Corruption, impeachment, international news, South Korea