MONGOLIAN OFFICIAL ARRESTED IN KOREA

[Anchor Lead]

The Mongolian Constitutional Court Chairman who had been accused of sexually harassing a female flight attendant, was questioned by Korean police for the second time. Although the Mongolian official is strongly denying all charges, the Korean police have banned him from leaving the country to keep him from returning to Mongolia.

[Pkg]

Dorj Odbayar, the chairman of the Mongolian Constitutional Court accused of sexually harassing a flight attendant underwent another round of questioning.

[Soundbite] DORJ ODBAYAR(CHAIRMAN, MONGOLIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT) : "(Do you admit to the sex crime?) ……."

The Mongolian court official arrived at Incheon International Airport yesterday morning in order to transfer to a flight to Mongolia. The Korean police, ready with an arrest warrant, immediately transported him to the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency. Investigators questioned Chairman Odbayar on the allegations. Police also investigated whether he had threatened a Mongolian-national flight attendant who was interpreting for him at the time. Odbayar reportedly denied all allegations of sexually harassing a Korean female flight attendant. On November 1st, the Mongolian Constitutional Court issued a statement through its spokesman that the allegations on Chairman Odbayar are not true and the court would lodge protest against Korean authorities. Police have banned Odbayar from leaving the country in order to conduct additional investigations. Meanwhile, the Korean police are working together with the Mongolian Embassy in Korea to repatriate Odbayar's Mongolian associate who had left for Singapore without being questioned. The police will immediately arrest the said assistant once he arrives in Korea. Odbayar and his assistant were arrested for groping a Korean Air female flight attendant during a flight from Ulaanbaatar on October 31st. The Mongolian officials invoked diplomatic immunity afterwards. The airport police sparked controversy when they released the Mongolian nationals without confirming their diplomatic immunity.