Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak [Reuters profile] was arrested and jailed early Friday on multiple corruption charges, including bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.

The Seoul Central District Court [official website] approved the arrest warrant based on serious allegations of crime and the possibility that the ex-president may attempt to destroy evidence.

Prosecutors accuse Lee of taking up to 11 billion won (USD $10 million) in bribes from his intelligence agency and other business groups, including Samsung [corporate website].

Lee’s arrest adds to the recent series [JURIST report] of disgraced leaders encountering corruption scandals after leaving office. Lee was previously investigated [JURIST report] in connection with a 2001 fraud probe, which he has denied any wrongdoing.

The warrant will allow prosecutors to detain Lee for up to 20 days before formally charging him.