To Summon a Division Head of the Ministry of Information and Communication

Seoul District Prosecutor`s Office summoned Mr. Bang (37), an officer of National Tax Office, and 2 press personnel among the shareholders of Pass 21 and investigated them on the 3rd. Seoul District Prosecutor`s Office is looking into whether Yoon Tae-shik, who had been arrested for `Suzy Kim murder case` lobbied political and administrational circles with Pass 21 stocks.

The Prosecution announced that Mr. Bang gave a positive answer to the request for an authoritative interpretation on the introduction of fingerprint authentication system into the banks when he worked for the Banking Policy Division of the Ministry of Finance and Economy as an officer. He obtained 1200 stocks of Pass 21 4 or 5 months later.

The Prosecution will request an arrest warrant for him if he obtained the stocks for the positive interpretation.

Mr. Bang reportedly insisted, "I purchased the stocks for 10,000 won, having nothing to do with the authoritative interpretation."

And the Prosecution investigated the 2 press personnel whether they received the stocks and wrote about Pass 21. They obtained around 100 stocks of Pass 21 each in January 2001.

The Prosecution will request arrest warrants for the suspicion of breach when it is confirmed that the stocks were used as compensation.

The Prosecution also found out that Mr. Yoon installed the fingerprint authentication systems in a certain division of the Ministry of Information and Communication for nothing, and announced that it would summon the head of a certain division who allegedly achieved 200 stocks of Pass 21(face price 5,000 won) in his wife`s name.

The Prosecution restricted his departure, and will punish him if the stocks are found to have served as compensation for the installation of the systems.

The head of the division said, "I purchased the stocks legally."

The Prosecution will summon 2 personnel of another press on 4th.

Myoung-Gun Lee gun43@donga.com