MDP Insists, “Roh Camp Collected 12 Billion-won Illicit Funds"

“The amount of illicit funds received at the Roh camp during the last presidential election reached 12.019 billion won, with one billion-won bonds from Hanhwa and six billion won from Kumho discovered so far,” insisted the Millennium Democratic Party on January 29.

The Special Committee in the MDP investigated the facts related to the illicit funds and identified that 4,219 million won was distributed to districts from the campaign headquarters, 4,240 million won was raised by Roh’s close aides and campaign staff members, and 3,560 million won of illicit funds was at the campaign headquarters.

“The Sun & Moon Group has acquired loans from six financial organizations including Kookmin, Korea Exchange, and Shinhan Bank as well as Hansol Bank and Samsung Life in order to purchase a hotel right after the candidate selection of the MDP,” said Rep. Kim Young-hwan of the MDP in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly. That Committee is discussing whether or not a public hearing should be held on the question of illicit fund charges. “We should identify whether there was any outer pressure or politics involved in this,” Kim has added.

Rep. Kim Kyoung-jae fueled the argument by saying, “Company D has offered 5 billion won of political donations to the Roh camp. We have to investigate this at the hearing,” and added, “In addition to this, four other companies in the metropolitan area are suspected of having offered campaign funds without any receipts as well as has nine small-sized companies in Youngnam area.”

The MDP has also publicized the related accounting book to show how the Roh camp has sent out special support funds to district chapters nationwide except in Honam area. These special support funds which altogether amount to 4,219 million won have no known sources and were distributed right after the presidential election in 2002 starting December 10. (Covered on Page A1,3 on January 1 through our paper.)

Vice Chief Spokesperson Lee Pyong-soo of the Uri Party has refuted this argument, saying, “The support funds to district chapters were part of official donations, and the argument about 5 billion won from Company D is absolutely nonsense.”

Meanwhile, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee has held a debate on whether or not to hold a public hearing, but the Uri Party has strongly opposed to the idea. The Committee has decided to make their final decision on February 3 after holding board meetings within each party. “We are in need of this hearing,” appealed GNP floor leader Hong Sa-duk.

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