Mr. Kim Purchased Stocks of Tiger Pools Inc.

CEO of the Future City Environment, Choi Kyu-Sun (42 years old), who was allegedly involved in influence peddling scandals along with the third son of President Kim Dae-Jung, Hong-Gul, has been known to stay recently in alias O hotel located in Samsung-Dong Kangnam-Gu Seoul and to have discussed measures in preparation for the prosecution summoning, with former deputy Seoul mayor for political affairs Kim Hee-Wan and a high positioned police officer named alias C. The special prosecution office of the Seoul District Prosecution Office is going to summon Mr. Choi on April 15.

Mr. Choi has been known to check in the hotel on April 11 and leave on April 13 when reporters questioned former deputy mayor Kim who had been seen leaving the hotel.

Former deputy mayor Kim explained, "We have not discussed measures with Mr. Choi, but associates of Mr. Choi have gathered to console him."

In other hand, our investigative team confirmed that some of the twenty thousand stocks of Tiger Pools International (TPI) purchased by Mr. Choi have ended up into the account of Mr. Ju, who was a driver of former deputy mayor Kim last year.

Driver and secretary of Mr. Choi, Cheon Ho-Young (37 years old), said to our investigative team, "Mr. Choi shared the profits obtained from influence peddling with former deputy mayor Kim and Hong-Gul," and claimed, "At the same way, TPI stocks also have been transferred to former mayor Kim through the account of Mr. Ju."

Former mayor Kim explained, "Mr. Ju is my friend`s brother-in-law and as a sister of Mr. Ju wanted to purchase TPI stocks, Mr. Ju let his sister use his name," and, " I have once introduced the sister of Mr. Ju to Mr. Choi."

Also former deputy mayor Kim said that he introduced CEO of TPI Song Jae-Bin (33 years old) to Mr. Choi on early last year for the mere reason that Mr Song wanted to expand into overseas, but he has never involved in influence peddling.

A high positioned police officer C who has been known to discuss various measures of countering the prosecution investigation with Mr. Choi has disappeared after disconnecting communication with outside, and a related person in the police agency said, "We can not reach him at all from the night of April 13."

C was a section chief of the special investigation division of the policy agency when an arrest warrant was issued to Mr. Choi on charges of swindling on August 1998 by the division.

In addition, Mr. Choi is also allegedly involved in weapons purchase programs of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) through Mr. Cho who is a weapons dealer and took large sums of money for it.

Mr. Cho had been scouted as a president of U company by Choi between 1999 and 2000, and engaged in procurement activities of military telecommunications equipment. During the process, Mr. Choi and Mr. Cho met with high positioned officials of MOD several times in October last year.

Myoung-Gun Lee gun43@donga.com · Jin-Kyun Kil leon@donga.com