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The leader of the controversial Unification Church has denied allegations that her organisation bribed South Korea’s former first lady with luxury gifts in exchange for business favours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Han Hak-ja flatly rejected claims that she directed the bribery when confronted by reporters as she emerged from nine hours of questioning at the prosecutor’s office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“No… Why would I do that?” said the 82-year-old widow of the church’s founder Moon Sun-myung, who had to be supported by assistants as she walked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former first lady Kim Keon Hee, the wife of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, is accused of accepting two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace, together worth 80 million won ($57,900; \u00a342,500), from the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kim was indicated last month<\/a> for various charges, including bribery and stock manipulation, which she denies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her arrest marked the first time that both a former president and former first lady have been jailed in South Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yoon was detained in January to face trial over a failed martial law bid last year that plunged the country into chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Wednesday, Han pinned the blame on a former church official, saying the official acted on his own in offering Kim those gifts. The official has since been arrested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her appearance comes after she refused the special prosecutor’s summons thrice. “I was in pain after [heart] surgery,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An ambulance was put on standby while she was being interrogated, Reuters reported citing the special prosecutor’s office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Wednesday, authorities arrested conservative lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong, who is also accused of receiving 100 million won in bribes from the church. Kweon, once seen as a close confidante of Yoon, denied the allegation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Unification Church, known formally as The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, was founded in South Korea in the 1950s by Moon Sun-myung, who proclaimed himself the messiah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The church is best known for holding mass weddings involving thousands of couples, some of whom would have only recently been matched by the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Critics have described the group as “cult -like”. Lawyers have accused it of coercing devotees, known colloquially as “Moonies” after its founder, to donate large sums of money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Unification Church had come under the spotlight in Japan after the assassination of the country’s former leader Shinzo Abe<\/a>. The alleged assassin blamed the group for bankrupting his family and held a grievance against Abe<\/a> for allegedly promoting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n