Prosecution Captured Evidence and is Tracking Them Down

The Central Investigation Agency of the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office, headed by Public Prosecutor Ahn Dae-hee, is investigating the financial flows of the big-ten corporations including Lotte, Hanjin, Hanhwa, Doosan, Kumho, and Hyosung and others as well as the big-four corporations of Samsung, LG, SK, and Hyundai Motors regarding the campaign fund scandal on January 4.

It was known that the prosecution had tracked down evidence that these corporations offered large-sum illegal campaign funds to the Roh camp and to the Grand National Party (GNP) during the 2002 presidential election.

The prosecution had obtained evidence in the account tracking of the Millennium Democratic Party and the GNP and will summon Rep. Lee Sang-soo of the Uri Party and Rep. Kim Young-il of the GNP who were known to have collected the campaign funds during the election.

Rep. Lee will answer questions regarding allegations of “additional illegal campaign funds of 4.2 billion won” and sources of support funds to the district party chapters of the Millennium Democratic Party during the last presidential election.

However, a related official at the prosecution said, “The investigation has not reached the level (of identifying the sources of support funds to the district party chapters) and has not obtained the testimony (about 4.2 billion won) from Rep. Lee.”

Additionally, the prosecution is investigating the sources of the campaign funds offered by Samsung, Hyundai Motors, Lotte, and others to Roh’s camp and the GNP.

The prosecution said, “Hyundai Motors are silent about the exact sources (of the illegal funds), being conscious of foreign investors, small stockholders, and the labor union, and we can hardly believe 100 percent the explanation by Samsung that the money is from the big stockholders’ private fund.”

Along with this, the prosecution has seized evidence that part of the unregistered debenture of 11.2 billion won handed over from Samsung to the GNP during the presidential election was cashed.

The prosecution suspects that the GNP has laundered the debenture through private loaners and used the money for campaign funds during the election or has hid it somewhere else and is tracking down the money accordingly.

The prosecution will summon Sohn Kil-seung, president of SK Group, and Choi Tae-won, president of SK Corporation on January 6 and 7 respectively to decide the level of the criminal punishment after investigating the circumstances of the campaign funds handed over to Roh’s camp and to the GNP.

Wi-Yong Jung Jin-Kyun Kil viyonz@donga.com leon@donga.com