By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – The anti-corruption investigation agency said on Monday that President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was formally arrested over his failed martial law bid, will be banned from meeting visitors other than his lawyers.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials made the decision after a court granted a warrant in the day to formally arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over allegations of insurrection and abuse of power related to his martial law declaration on December 3, local news agency reported.
The CIO said it has sent a document of its decision to a detention centre in Uiwang, just south of Seoul, where Yoon is in custody, cited concerns about destroying evidence.
The measure will be effective until he is indicted.
First Lady Kim Keon Hee and other people close to Yoon will not be permitted to meet the arrested president.
Legal experts said the CIO’s decision is seen as aimed at preparing for the possibility that Yoon’s side could file a court petition to review whether his formal detention is appropriate.
The CIO said it will request Yoon to appear for questioning on Monday as he did not show up for it earlier in the day.
Yoon has become the first sitting president to be formally arrested with the issuance of the arrest warrant.
The angry supporters of Yoon stormed into the district court that issued the warrant earlier in the day, destroyed office equipment and spraying a fire extinguisher at police officers.
Yoon called for his supporters to “peacefully” express their opinions though he understood their resentment in a message released by his lawyers.
Yoon said he would not give up on correcting what went wrong even if it takes time, vowed that he would prove the legality of the martial law declaration during the legal proceedings.
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