Ex- President Sentenced To Jail, Fined $16m Too..

A South Korean court has sentenced former President Park Geun-hye to 24 years in prison after she was found guilty of corruption.

The disgraced former president was found guilty of several corruption charges, abuse of power and coercion in a verdict issued on Friday. She was also fined $16m.

It was alleged in the trial that Park, 66, colluded with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, and a former presidential aide, in pressuring big businesses to donate to two foundations set up to back her policy initiatives. She was also charged for soliciting bribes from the head of the Samsung Group for government favours.

Park was acquitted in at least two of the charges, including abuse of power relating to forcing Hyundai automobile company to run ads for the company owned by Choi.

The sentencing phase of the trial is under way.

South Korean state news agency Yonhap reports that Park did not appear in the sentencing trial.