The person of the arguable Unification Church has been sentenced to 2 years successful situation for bribing South Korea's erstwhile archetypal woman and different governmental backing offences.
A tribunal recovered that Han Hak-ja's religion gave Kim Keon Hee, the woman of ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol, 2 Chanel bags and a diamond necklace, unneurotic worthy 80 cardinal won ($57,900; £42,500).
Earlier this year, Kim was sentenced to 20 months successful jailhouse for accepting bribes from the church.
Han, the 83-year-old widow of the Unification Church's laminitis Sun Myung Moon, had repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them "false".
A peculiar counsel squad appointed to the lawsuit said Kim received the luxury products from the religion betwixt April and July 2022, successful speech for concern and governmental favours.
The prosecutors said the probe was the archetypal clip the authorities person confirmed the church's effort astatine buying power successful politics, and released photos of $19m (£14m) worthy of currency recovered successful Han's idiosyncratic safe.
South Korea's erstwhile archetypal woman admitted to receiving Chanel bags, but said she aboriginal returned them without utilizing them.
Kim made a nationalist apology erstwhile she appeared for questioning past August: "I americium genuinely atrocious that a cipher similar maine has caused interest to the people."
The Unification Church, known formally arsenic The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, was founded successful South Korea successful the 1950s by Sun Myung Moon, who proclaimed himself the messiah.
The religion is astir apt champion known for the wide weddings wherever thousands of couples were joined by Han and her precocious hubby and laminitis Sun Myung Moon successful a stadium.
Critics person described the radical arsenic "cult-like". Lawyers person accused it of coercing devotees, known colloquially arsenic "Moonies" aft its founder, to donate ample sums of money. "Moonies" is simply a word utilized by critics that galore religion members find offensive.
The Unification Church had travel nether the spotlight successful Japan aft the assassination of the country's erstwhile person Shinzo Abe. The alleged assassin blamed the radical for bankrupting his household and held a grievance against Abe for allegedly promoting it.
The religion has boasted extended links to politicians successful Seoul, Tokyo, and adjacent successful Washington. Various politicians sent video connection to its 2021 lawsuit congratulating the church's caller deliberation tank.
The database included US President Donald Trump, erstwhile US Vice-President Mike Pence, Shinzo Abe, arsenic good arsenic the mayors of Seoul and Busan.
The radical is banned successful parts of the world, including Singapore. In Japan, it has been ordered to dissolve.
English (US)·