Supreme Prosecutors` Office Has Established Special Investigations Unit

The Supreme Prosecutors` Office (SPO) announced yesterday that it has established a `Special Investigations Unit` in relation to the scandal surrounding G&G chairperson Lee Yong-Ho (43). The unit will not be under the control of the Prosecutor General.

The SPO summoned and questioned Shin Seung-Hwan (49), brother of the Prosecutor General Shin Seung-Nam. Shin Seung-Hwan had received 66 million won from Lee.

- Special Investigations Unit: The Special Investigations Unit is operated under Han Boo-Hwan, head of the Daejon High Prosecutors Office, and Han is given the authority to mount independent investigation. The Special Investigations Unit will investigate the suspicion of harboring Lee through tracking bank accounts and confiscation, if necessary, and the headquarter has been established in the Seoul District Prosecutors` Office southern branch.

Kim Gak-Young, deputy head of the SPO said at the press conference yesterday afternoon that ``we will thoroughly examine the truth without a single doubt by establishing a Special Investigations Unit in relation to the suspicion that insiders of the Prosecutors` Office were involved in the process of closing the case of Lee, which was cleared of suspicion last year.``

Head of the Special Investigations Unit Han began to select the team members after completing initiation procedure at the SPO yesterday.

It was reported that although the SPO asked Shim Jae-Ryun, unpaid head of the High Prosecutors` Office, to lead not only the Special Investigations Unit but also a full scale investigation on the financial scandal of Lee if necessary, Shim rejected the offer.

In his response to the request of the SPO, Shim was reportedly to have said that it was not a case for him to enter into.

The SPO also directed the Central Investigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors` Office to thoroughly investigate the lobby suspicion and the use of money by increasing the investigation team on the financial scandal of Lee.

- Investigation on brother of the Prosecutor General Shin and the suspicion of harboring Lee: The prosecutors Office summoned Shin Seung-Hwan and investigated the background of receiving 66.66 million won from Lee under the name of monthly salary and the scout cost, and of working as president of one of Lee`s affiliated companies.

The Prosecutors` Office is also investigating a secrete information that Shin received more than 100 million won from Lee.

The Prosecutors` Office questioned Yim Yang-Un, deputy head of Gwangju High Prosecutors Office, whether either lobby or external pressure affected Lee`s free of charge when Yim investigated Lee`s charge of embezzlement last year. Yim was the 3rd deputy head of the Seoul District Prosecutors` Office when he investigated Lee`s case. The Prosecutors` Office investigated Lee Duk-Sun, head of the Kunsan District Prosecutors` Office, for two days. Lee was a special director of the Seoul District Prosecutors` Office when Lee Yong-Ho was charged last year.

The Prosecutors` Office plans to summon Yim Hwi-Yoon, head of the Busan High Prosecutors`s Office, today. The investigation of the high-raking officials such as head prosecutor by the Prosecutors` Office itself is the first time since 1993 when Lee Gun-Gae, former head of the Daejun High Prosecutors` Office, was investigated on the slot machine case.

Lee Soo-Hyung sooh@donga.com