Seoul: South Korean prosecutors today demanded a 30-year-jail sentence for former president Park Geun-hye for corruption and abuse of power. Park, 66, was sacked by the country's top court in March last year over a wide-ranging corruption scandal and has been held in custody for almost a year now.

"We ask the court to hand down 30 years in prison and (a fine of) 118.5 billion won ($110 million) for the accused, who must take the ultimate responsibility for the scandal as the 18th president of this country," prosecutors said in a statement read out in court.

Prosecutors asserted that Park, in collusion with her secret confidante and long-time friend Choi Soon-sil, took or was promised bribes totalling 59.2 billion won ($52 million) from three South Korean companies, Samsung, Lotte and SK, in return for policy favours.

Park also been charged with coercing 18 large firms to "donate" a total of 77.4 billion won to two dubious foundations controlled by Choi. The Seoul Central District Court earlier this month found Choi guilty of abuse of power, bribery and interfering in government business, sentencing her to 20 years in prison.