Prosecutors Investigate Medical Bribery Case

Prosecutors have set out to investigate an ongoing Korean Medical Association’s bribe scandal by seizing and searching its office.

On April 25, the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office Investigation Unit led by Kim Dae-ho seized about 10 boxes of documents, account books and digital documents along with a computer from chairman Jang Dong-ik’s office in Ichon 1-dong.

Prosecutors also seized and searched five other places, including Jang’s house and hospital, on the same day.

Prosecutors are planning to forbid KMA executives, including Jang, from leaving the country while tracing their bank accounts to investigate whether public money was used for private purposes.

Six people, including ex-director Im, accused Jang of embezzling 370 million won of public money last September. Jang was cleared of suspicion in December, but the Seoul High Court issued an order for a re-investigation in February.

The Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office organized an investigative team made up of Kim and other two prosecutors after it was reported that Jang remarked, “We are giving six million won every month to three lawmakers of the Health & Welfare Committee. We also gave 10 million won in cash to a lawmaker for making a law to replace the year-end account settlement system.”

Minister of Justice Kim Seong-ho said at a meeting with journalists, “The truth of the bribery report needs to be examined.”

Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office Chief Ahn Yeong-wook emphasized, “Facts need to be established since the bribe scandal is connected to the embezzlement.”

will71@donga.com