Video Gambling Lobbying Probe Expands

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Special Investigation Team (Team leader Jeong Yoon-ki, head of Drug Operation Crime Investigation Division) is investigating the secret information that Mr. C, who is known as the actual owner of a gift certificate company, was involved in lobbying politicians with regard to suspicions associated with the government’s approval for adult game gift certificate providers.

A prosecution official said, “Mr. C owns shares of two or three gift certificate companies and allegedly contacted some politicians with the ‘chairman’ title last August when gift certificate providers were appointed. We are in the process of confirming this information.”

Prosecutors are also investigating the broker Lee on charges of lobbying the Korea Game Development and Promotion Institute. Lee supposedly received funds from gift certificate companies on the condition that he would get them nominated official gift certificate providers.

Prosecutors are closely reviewing Lee’s historical bank account information secured by Seoul Prosecutors’ Office for Eastern District (SPOED) early this year. At that time, the SPOED reportedly tracked some bank accounts to confirm evidences of transferring millions to tens of millions of won between gift certificate providers and Lee.

It is reported that prosecutors are planning to also investigate promotion funds for some politicians under suspicions of involvement in the lobbying scandal, as gift certificate providers may have granted the promotion funds to ruling and opposition party members, asking favors to pass through approval deliberation.

Cheong Wa Dae asked prosecution to investigate the fact that the former presidential administrative official Kwon owned 15,000 shares of Korwin Solution (KS), a gift certificate provider, under the name of his mother. Prosecutors decided to summon Kwon and people from KS to investigate as per Cheong Wa Dae’s request.

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