Delayed Arrest Warrant, Investigation Suspicions

The Central Investigation Department (Chief Public Prosecutor Ahn Dae-hee) in the Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office has called on Lee Heung-ju, who was a special administrative aide to former presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang and had been investigated over charges of illegal fund raising and involvement in misappropriation of money.

The prosecution conducted a search and seizure of Lee’s house in Bangi-Dong, Songpa-Gu and of his office in Jamsilbon-Dong, Songpa-Gu this day securing scratch papers and bank books.

The prosecution pressed Lee to account to Rep. Shin Kyung-shik of the Grand National Party (GNP) and explain his statement of, “I delivered 650 million won among the one billion won I received from Lotte Group to Lee.”

Since Lee managed and was one of leading figures of a private campaign team for the former presidential candidate Lee, known as the Pukuk Team, Prosecutors have investigated whether Lee had received illegal campaign funds from other politicians and companies, and whether he had reported it to former presidential candidate Lee.

However, the prosecution plans to prosecute Lee without keeping him in custody if there is no evidence of Lee’s involvement in illegal fund raising.

The prosecutors also issued a prior arrest warrant against Rep. Park Sang-kyu of the Grand National Party, who was re-summoned on the allegation of receiving 200 million won from Daewoo E&C Co., Ltd., High-Tech housing, and others while he was president of the Millennium Democratic Party support group.

The prosecutors obtained evidence that Rep. Park received 50 million won from the Grand National Party as a token for moving his party registration from MDP to GNP. While conducting the search and seizure on Rep. Park’s house, they also found 500 million won worth of cash and checks in his safe, and are now tracking the source of it.

Over the allegation of receiving 100 million won from Kumho Group, Rep. Park Byung-yoon of the Millennium Democratic Party stated that he had delivered the money to Rep. Han Hwa-gap. Rep. Han claims he deposited the money into the party account. Prosecutors will prosecute Rep. Park without custody if their statements are proven.

Meanwhile, the prosecutors obtained testimony from SK Chairman Sohn Kil-seung while he was summoned for interrogation last October that “a part of the slush fund has been provided to Rep. Han,” but revealed Rep. Han’s accusations just this Wednesday.

The prosecutor’s delayed action in requesting an arrest warrant for Rep. Han even while they had seized Rep. Han’s charge, has caused a controversy over a “targeted investigation” suspected to be aimed at specific people.

Wi-Yong Jung Tae-Hoon Lee viyonz@donga.com jefflee@donga.com