South Korean prosecutors have formally charged Park Geun-hye over high-profile corruption allegations that could potentially send the former president to jail for life.
Park's indictment is reported to be a widely expected follow-up after she was arrested on 31 March on numerous charges including leaking government secrets. Park was impeached late a year ago, officially stripped of power in March and has been in a detention facility near Seoul since being arrested last month on allegations that she colluded with a confidante to extort from businesses, take bribes and commit other wrongdoing.
The media outlet specified that prosecutors have been advancing the investigation to finish it before the Monday's launch of the official campaign for the early presidential election slated for the May 9.
Park, 65, was elected South Korea's first female president in late 2012.
The corruption scandal has dominated South Korean politics for months. She has repeatedly apologised for the upset caused by the scandal but never admitted any wrongdoing, blaming Choi for abusing their friendship. The ousted leader is also accused of receiving tens of billions of dollars in bribes from Samsung chief Jay Y Lee in exchange for supporting his succession, prosecutors said in a statement.
She'd already been removed from office after a Constitutional Court ruling on March 10 confirmed her impeachment. Prosecutors suspect that Park promised favors regarding the two conglomerates' bids to operate duty-free shops and other pending issues.
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Such rallies could pressure whoever becomes her successor. She allegedly used her presidential ties to force local firms to "donate" almost $70 million to non-profit foundations which she allegedly used for personal gain.
They also charged, without detaining, Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin with bribery in the latest twist to a corruption scandal that rocked the country for months.
Three televised apologies by Park couldn't stop the public outrage, which led to enormous protests in the capital Seoul.
Park, Choi and Samsung's top executive have all denied any wrongdoing.
Samsung's de facto leader Lee Jae-yong is on trial for offering or promising to offer bribes to Park and Choi in return for helping him tighten his control over his firm through a merger of two key units.
Park is the daughter of the former military dictator Park Chung-hee, who seized power in a coup in 1961 and ruled South Korea with martial law until his assassination in 1979.
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