A Seoul appellate court on Friday finalized a four-year prison term for a former high-ranking prosecutor charged with corruption and bribery, after the top court ordered a retrial on some of his charges.

Jin Kyung-joon, an former senior official at the prosecution and the Ministry of Justice, was indicted in 2016 for receiving 950 million won ($889,000) in stocks and cash from his college friend, Kim Jung-ju, founder of major online game publisher Nexon, from 2005 to 2014.

The 51-year-old was also accused of exerting influence with the former vice president of Korean Air Lines to sign contracts worth some 10 billion won in total with a company owned by his brother-in-law. 

He was sentenced to seven years for bribery by the Seoul High Court in July last year. But the top court sent the case back in December, saying it was difficult to confirm that the money was paid in return for favors that related to Jin’s duty. He was convicted of the latter charge involving his family.

The top court has ruled that it cannot be viewed as having exchanged bribes when charges only point to vague assumptions based on circumstantial evidence.

The appellate court on Friday ruled in line with the top court‘s judgment and upheld the initial not guilty verdict on Kim. (Yonhap)