A Seoul court on Monday sentenced a former aide to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to 18 months in jail with two-year suspension for taking bribes and illegal political funds.

Kim Hae-soo, who served as a presidential secretary for political affairs in 2008-2010, took 20 million won (17,800 U.S. dollars) in 2010 from a lobbyist for Busan Savings Bank in return for wielding his influence in a bank scandal.

Kim, who currently leads the state-run Korea Construction Management, also received 60 million won from the same lobbyist and 145 million won from a company in illegal political funds when he ran for a parliamentary seat in 2008.

The financially troubled savings bank suspended operations last year.

Monday's verdict marked the latest in a series of corruption scandals implicating the president's aides and relatives before his conservative ruling party faces parliamentary and presidential elections this year.