Bank Accounts of Kim Tae-Jung Are Traced by the Independent Counsel Team

The Independent Counsel Team of Cha Jung-Il, who is reinvestigating the `Lee Yong-Ho Gate`, announced that it plans to summon the related senior prosecutors who had conducted investigation of Lee in May 2000, including former Head of Kunsan Branch District Public Prosecutors Office Lee Duk-Sun, during this week.

A related official of the Independent Counsel Team said, "Because we finished the bank accounts trace of the related prosecutors and the investigation on three prosecutors who were in charge of actual investigation, we plans to summon former prosecutor Lee and other senior prosecutors this week."

The Independent Counsel Team will summon former prosecutor Lee, former Vice Head of Gwangju High Prosecutors Office Lim Yang-Woon, and former Head of Busan High Prosecutors Office Lim Hwi-Yoon, to investigate whether there were any pressure from inside or outside the prosecution, and whether they received money from Lee Yong-Ho in the process of Lee shaking off suspicion.

The Independent Counsel Team also announced that, with warrants for seizure and search, it is tracing the bank accounts of three lawyers of Lee Yong-Ho, including former Justice Minister Kim Tae-Jung, lawyer Lee, and Yoon. Receiving 100 million won, Kim took Lee`s case and made a call to Lim Hwi-Yoon, who was the Head of Seoul District Public Prosecutors Office, on Lee`s behalf. If the counsel finds any suspicious evidence through the trace, it will summon them to investigate whether they granted any illegal request or applied pressure.

Meanwhile, the 10th Criminal Division of Seoul High Court (Chief Judge Kang Byung-Sup) dismissed former owner of Daeyang Mutual Saving`s & Finance Co. Kim Yong-Joon`s statement of protest on Saturday. Kim had submitted a statement of protest with a reason that "the Independent Counsel Team`s request of a warrant for my arrest is beyond its investigation range."

The court said that, "Taking over the management right of KEP Electronics, one of Lee`s companies, Kim made a loss of 30.3 billion won to the company, and this is acknowledged as a breach of trust in conspiracy with Lee. Kim profited by more than 10 billion won, and it is highly possible that he used this money for lobbying politicians and government officials. Thus, the Independent Counsel Team`s investigation is right."

The Independent Counsel Team announced that it also found evidence that Shin Seung-Hwan, the younger brother of former Public Prosecutor General Shin Seung-Nam, received 80 million won from his close relatives for asking a special favor to a government official in last May. However, the counsel decided to send this case to the prosecution because it is not related with the `Lee Young-Ho Gate`.

A related official of the Independent Counsel Team said, "The object of this lobbying case is neither the prosecution nor the Financial Supervisory Service."

myzodan@donga.com