A former parliamentary leader was indicted Tuesday on charges of sexually harassing a golf caddie in a central eastern town in September, prosecutors said.
   
The Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office said it indicted Park Hee-tae, 67, without physical detention for allegedly groping the female caddie several times at a golf course in Wonju, some 132 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Sept 11.
   
Park, who chaired the National Assembly from 2010-2012, has denied any wrongdoing, saying he simply wanted to treat the 23-year-old "as if she was my own granddaughter."
   
The former six-term lawmaker affiliated with the ruling Saenuri Party initially claimed he had settled the matter privately with the victim.
   
But prosecutors decided to continue probing the case, as last year's law revision allows them to press charges even without formal complaints filed by sexual assault victims.
   
Prosecutors said they had not summoned Park for questioning as he had submitted a written statement, and there was enough evidence to charge him.
   
With the indictment, Park will stand trial for the alleged sexual harassment. The trial date has yet to be set.
   
In late September, local police came under fire for summoning Park at 4:30 a.m. for questioning in an apparent attempt to avoid media exposure. (Yonhap)