A local court on Thursday acquitted a former Navy chief who was indicted on charges of unlawfully granting favors to a local firm in the process of supplying parts to the country's indigenous salvage ship, citing a lack of evidence.

The Seoul Central District Court found the former Navy chief Jung Ok-keun, not guilty of allegations that he pressured his subordinates to forge a document to help the firm win the contract.

Jung held the top naval post from 2008 to 2010, The 3,500-ton Tongyeong was found to be fraught with problems and was not able to participate in rescue operations in a ferry tragedy in April 2014 that resulted in the deaths of some 300 people.

In a separate case, Jung was also suspected of receiving some 770 million won ($663,000) worth of bribes through a company owned by his son, but the Supreme Court overturned a decision that convicted him. The nation's top court said the money given to the son's company cannot be deemed as the defendant's own profit. (Yonhap)