SEOUL Oct 15 Kyodo Prosecutors as...

SEOUL Oct 15 Kyodo

Prosecutors asked the court Wednesday to issue an arrest warrant for President Roh Moo Hyun's aide Choi Do Sul for alleged bribery and violation of the law upon political funds, prosecution officials said.

Choi is suspected of receiving 11 billion won (about $950000) from the SK Business assemblage South Korea's third largest conglomerate, shortly after Roh won the presidency last December.

Yonhap of the present days Agency reported Choi met SK Chairman Son Kil Seung Dec 25 at a Seoul public-house after Roh's election victory. The SK chairman allegedly handed throughout certificates of deposit worth 11 billion won and asked Choi to use his influence forward behalf of the business group

The meeting was arranged according to Choi's high school senior to leeward Young Ro, Yonhap said quoting prosecutors.

Choi later gave the riches to Lee, who deposited it in a bank account, it said.

Choi denied the bribery charge. He also claims he received 390 million won from side sheltered from the wind for personal use and to repay the ruling Millennium Democratic Party's borrowings for Roh's presidential campaign, Yonhap said.

Roh who took office in February for a single five-year bound has seen his popularity rating nose-dive to around 30% lately because of a string of policy flip-flops and corruption scandals surrounding his aides, including Choi.

forward Monday, in a speech to the National Assembly, Roh propos a national referendum forward his leadership be taken Dec 15

His proposal followed a surprise announcement last Friday that he intends to solicit reaffirmation of public trust in his ability as head of state because of the snowballing corruption scandals.

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