South Korea’s top court upheld Friday the lower court’s ruling that cleared Hong Joon-pyo, leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, of bribery charges in a high-profile lobbying scandal.

The Supreme Court also confirmed Lee Wan-koo, former prime minister under ousted President Park Geun-hye, was not guilty of bribery charges in connection with the scandal, citing a lack of evidence.

Hong and Lee were indicted in July 2015 as part of the prosecution’s probe into a suspected “bribery list” that Sung Wan-jong, chairman of construction company Kyungnam Corp., left behind before taking his own life in April 2015. The list included the names of eight lawmakers close to Park, including Hong and Lee. 

Hong, a former presidential candidate for the Liberty Korea Party, was suspected of taking illicit campaign funds worth 100 million won ($92,610) from Sung in June 2011. Lee was accused of receiving 30 million won from Sung in April 2013.

Hong and Lee were sentenced to 18 months in jail and eight months in jail, respectively, with a two-year suspension, but appeals courts overturned the rulings, clearing them of the bribery charges.

Hong’s acquittal is likely to boost his reform efforts to regain public trust in the Liberty Korea Party -- which is still reeling from the corruption scandal that led to Park’s ouster -- and unite the fractured conservative bloc ahead of next year’s local elections.

Hong expressed relief over the ruling.

“As I am now out of slander and fetters, the Liberty Korea Party will make utmost efforts to safeguard the liberal Republic of Korea with conservatives at the core,” he said in a press briefing following the ruling.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)