Lee Suk-hee and Lee Hoi-sung`s Involvement in Illegal Fund Raising

The Seoul District Public Prosecutor’s Office, currently investigating a scandal concerning illegal campaign fund raising, announced yesterday that Lee Suk-hee, former deputy chief of the National Tax Service (NTS), secretly held meetings with Hoi-sung, the opposition Grand National Party (GNP)’s former chief and Lee Ho-chang’s brother, to discuss ways to raise campaign funds and even used two rooms in a hotel, only identified by the initial letter L, until the 1997 presidential election, to illegally raise funds.

According to the investigation report, at the request of Suh Sang-mok, former GNP lawmaker, Lee Suk-hee and Lee Hoi-sung enticed Lim Chae-joo, former NTS chief to squeeze 16.6 billion won worth of illegal funds from 23 local companies.

The prosecution said that though Lee Hoi-chang, then governor of the GNP, called Lim Chae-joo to express thanks in December 1997, it had not yet confirmed whether he ordered the raising of illegal funds or gave his tacit consent.

The prosecution also confirmed that the former NTS deputy chief had received a list of companies who promised large donations but had not paid them from Cha Soo-myong, then GNP official in charge of financing, in September 1997, and pressured those companies to pay their dues.

Apart from the 16.6 billion won in illegal funds, the prosecution found an additional 7 billion won. However, the prosecution has failed to show how the additional money was raised because people suspected of their involvement in the scandal are vehemently denying involvement.

There are also allegations that some journalists and lawmakers received some of the raised funds, but prosecutors dropped the case because of the expiration on arraignment.

Regarding the investigation of those who were behind the illegal fund raising and how the report through the National Tax Service and the National Intelligence Service was made, it has yet to reach a conclusion. Currently, Lee Hoi-sung is not following the prosecutors’ call for an appearance in the inquiry.

The prosecution plans to decide whether there will be additional investigations sooner or later.

Wi-Yong Jung viyonz@donga.com