“Kwon Took over 10 Billion won”

The prosecution, under investigation into the Hyundai Group’s slush-fund scandal, is poised to seek an arrest warrant for Kwon Roh-kap, a former adviser to the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) on Aug.13 on suspicion that he took more than 10 billion won from the group ahead of the 2000 general elections.

The prosecution is also expected to summon politicians involved in the slush-fund scandal for questioning.

The Supreme Public Prosecutor`s Office (SPPO) raided Kwon’s home in Yongsan, central Seoul, and his secretary’s home on Monday morning.

The SPPO is interrogating him on allegations that he provided much of the slush fund to the MDP candidates during the parliamentary election in 2000 and used some of it privately.

In addition, Kwon was found to have lobbied senior officials of Cheong Wa Dae and the Financial circle for financial assistance for subsidiaries run by the late Chung Mong-hun, Hyundai Asan Chairman, the prosecution said.

The SPPO summoned then-presidential chief economic policymaker Lee Ki-ho, who was arrested on charges of the North Korea payoff scandal, and ex-Hyundai Securities Chairman Lee Ik-chi for questioning and confirmed much of the suspicions on Kwon.

The former MDP adviser, however, denied the charges, saying that he hadn’t received a penny from Hyundai, according to the prosecution.

“We hurried to arrest him due because he may destroy the proof, and confirmed his suspicions on July 22 when imposing a foreign travel ban on him,” said sources at the prosecution said.

Along with this, the prosecution will summon ex-Minister of Culture and Tourism Park Ji-won sooner or later and indict him when his charges are confirmed as Kim Young-wan, who remains in the U.S. after the money laundering of the Hyundai Group’s slush funds, said he delivered 15 billion won to Park.