Former South Korean president Park Geun-hye arrested in corruption probe

Disgraced former South Korean president, Park Geun -hye was on Friday arrested after a court granted an arrest warrant over high-profile corruption scandal of bribery, abuse of power,  coercion and leaking government secrets that has already seen her ousted from office and prompted early elections.

Park, 65, the country's first democratically elected leader to be thrown out of office was immediately driven to a detention centre in the south of Seoul after the Court approval.

Park will remain in jail while prosecutors seek an indictment against her, just three weeks after she was removed from office.

A convoy of vehicles, including a black sedan carrying Ms Park, entered a detention facility near Seoul after the Seoul Central District Court granted prosecutors' request to arrest her.
 

Many Park supporters waved national flags and shouted "president" as the car entered the facility

Park can be held in jail for up to three weeks while investigation is going on over allegations that she colluded with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, to pressure big businesses to to extort money from companies, including Samsung, in return for political favours.

A judge at the Seoul Central District Court said in a statement that "the cause and the need for the warrant are recognised as the main charges against her have been verified and as evidence could be destroyed".

Park gave about eight hours of testimony at the same court on Thursday and was held at the prosecutors' office next door while the judge studied the evidence and arguments to decide on whether to issue the arrest warrant.

Park who arrived at the court on Thursday to plead her case that she should not be arrested or held while prosecutors investigate the scandal argues that she does not pose a flight risk and will not try to tamper with evidence

They both however denied the claims.

Park Geun -hye, becomes the third former president of South Korea to be arrested over criminal allegations, and if convicted she could face more than 10 years in prison.