Lee Jae-hyun, Ex-Director of the GNP, Faces Arrest Warrant

The Central Investigation Department of the Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office investigating “SK slush funds case,” issued an arrest warrant yesterday to Lee Jae-hyun, former director of the Grand National Party’s finance bureau, on the charge of violating the Political Fund Act, relating to Rep. Choi Dong-woong’s 10 billion won receipt from SK Group.

The prosecution was also slanted to summon early next week. Rep. Kim Yong-iel, former GNP secretary-general, suspected Kim had exacted 10 billion won in conspiracy with Choi and Lee.

Lee was suspected of, after accepting illegal political funds from SK Group last November, scrapping all materials, especially about detailed information on where the money was spent without undergoing legal procedures such as making a receipt.

Lee also fell under suspicion that he falsely declared income and outgo of political funds to a central election watchdog body this February.

The prosecution found out that Rep. Choi first asked Kim Chang-gun, chief of the main office, for workout in SK Group in B bar of Lotte Hotel, Sokong-dong, Chung-gu, Seoul, by saying, “Other companies are now offering us (Grand National Party) funds for the presidential campaign, so we also expect SK group to offer us about 10 billion won.”

Regarding The Millennium Democratic Party’s (MDP) alleged double bookkeeping on funds for last year’s presidential campaign, the prosecution summoned Lee Hwa-young who used to work for the MDP presidential campaign headquarters and who is currently a member of a preparatory committee for the formal launch of the Uri Party.

Responding to the MDP’s pointing out of the total of 12 billion 850 million won falsely entered accounts during last year’s presidential campaign, the prosecution sources said, “As soon as findings of any evidence occurs, we will open full-scale probes.”

The prosecution interrogated Lee to confirm on whether the MDP duplicated books, suggested by the MDP lawmaker, Kim Kyung-jae, and on where the one billion won slush funds received by Rep. Lee Sang-soo, chief of the MDP presidential campaign headquarters, from SK group was spent.

Wi-Yong Jung viyonz@donga.com