Seoul, July 15 (IANS) A special counsel team is set to make a second attempt Tuesday to bring in former President Yoon Suk Yeol from his detention cell for questioning over his martial law bid.
The team led by special counsel Cho Eun-suk has asked the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, just south of the capital, to bring Yoon to its interrogation room by 2 p.m., Yonhap news agency reported.
The former president has refused to comply with repeated summonses by the special counsel team since his second arrest last Thursday.
On Monday, the team sought to have correctional officers bring him to its office but withdrew after he refused to leave his cell, admitting they could not use physical force due to his status as a former president.
Chances are low that Yoon will comply Tuesday.
In the event he refuses, the special counsel team could visit him at the detention center to question him there, but even then the former president could refuse to cooperate.
It is possible the special counsel will opt to indict Yoon without additional questioning if the pattern continues.
Yoon is accused of five key charges, including violating the rights of Cabinet members by calling only a select few to a meeting held shortly before he declared martial law December 3.
He is also suspected of creating a false martial law declaration document after December 3 to add legitimacy to his actions, and having it signed by then Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and then Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun before discarding it.
This is the second time Yoon has been arrested.
The first time was in January when he was still in office, but a court later accepted his request to cancel his arrest, granting his release in March.
Yoon has since been standing trial on insurrection and abuse of power charges related to his failed martial law bid.
–IANS
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