Candidate Roh’s Election Committee had Double Account Books

The ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) raised a suspicion yesterday that during last December’s election, the presidential election planning committee for then-candidate Roh Moo-hyun had kept “double account books,” the remarks of whom is expected to bring another sensation on the presidential election fund disputes these days.

“A couple of lawmakers of Uri party (former MDP) who had belonged to the election planning committee during the presidential election last year revealed that ‘there should be some dual account books’. This issue can be explained by Rep. Lee Sang-soo of Uri party,” said MDP spokesman Yoo Jong-pil during a briefing after MDP’s general meeting.

In the comment, Rep. Yoo urged, “Rep. Lee should immediately return the entire documents of official and unofficial account books that he illegally took with him when resigning his membership from the MDP.”

Concerning the issue, Rep. Kim Kyung-jae, former head of the public affairs division of then-candidate Roh Moo-hyun’s election committee, told the press, “During the presidential election last year, I heard from Rep. Lee just after the unification of two candidates that at least five out of ten companies had sent the same amount of donation money.”

Rep. Kim added, “Given that the timing of the first delivery of 1.5 billion won by SK, which is based on Rep. Lee’s recent statement to the prosecutors, and that of five companies’ donation are coinciding with each other, it is likely that it was 1.5 billion won for five companies each, and therefore 7.5 billion won in total was sent to the Party.” He accordingly raised questions on the report which Rep. Lee disclosed in July that donations over 1 million won from companies and individuals amount to 7,173 million won.

Regarding the assertion raised by MDP, Rep. Lee said, “There is no reason to answer to such remarks.” However, he neither accepted nor denied on the question whether he “kept some parts of presidential election account books”.

Yong-Gwan Jung Seung-Heon Lee yongari@donga.com ddr@donga.com