Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Hak-soo Was Summoned Yesterday

Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Hak-soo appeared before the prosecution on February 26 under suspicion of being deeply involved in providing 37.2 billion won in illicit presidential funds to the Grand National Party during the election campaign.

Prosecutors verified the fact that 300 million won which Kim Young-hoon, president of Good Money and who was arrested, provided to Rep. Shin Kye-ryun of the Uri Party was derived from the 54.1 billion won that Kim fraudulently loaned out.

Ahn Dae-hee of the Central Investigation Bureau of the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office stated on February 26 that the prosecution had summoned him not to reveal this to the public as he had returned to Korea on February 25.

The prosecution investigated whether or not Vice Chairman Lee had provided illicit funds to the GNP and candidate Roh.

Ahn Dae-hee said, “We plan to summon and investigate Lee and summon Kim In-ju, president of Samsung’s restructuring office, if necessary. We haven’t decided yet whether or not to investigate Samsung Chief Lee Kun-hee.”

Meanwhile, the prosecution sees a possibility that the other 14 billion won, of which the usage was not revealed yet, could be used for political lobby given the fact that 300 million won provided to Rep. Shin Kye-ryun came from the illicit loan was disclosed.

The prosecution is intensively tracing 14.1 billion won out of 54.1 billion won, excluding 40 billion won, of which the usage was already examined. However, it will take some time to track down the flow of funds since loaned money was complicatedly withdrawn 1,300 times in 50 million-won increments.

The prosecution also plans to request an arrest warrant for Rep. Rhee In-je in the morning of February 27 as he denied the third summons under the suspicion of accepting 250 million won from the GNP on this day.

jefflee@donga.com