Russian Oil Development Related Materials Might Come from Lee Ki-myeong’s Office

Jeong Dae-hoon’s special prosecution team investigating into the Russian oil investment scandal conducted a search and seizure at Lee Ki-myeong’s office in Jongno-gu and his residence in Gangseo-gu. Lee Ki-myeong (68) was a former senior advisor of a strong support group of President Roh Moo-hyun.

In its first investigation, the special department of the Seoul Central District Public Prosecutor’s Office didn’t conduct a search and seizure at Lee’s.

An official with the special prosecutor team said that since there is a high possibility that Huh Moon-seok, a geologist who fled overseas, might have visited Lee’s office several times, the team conducted a search and seizure in order to collect evidence. “We do not rule out the possibility that Lee might have been involved in this case,” said the official.

Lee was the one who introduced Huh to Uri Party representative Lee Kwang-jae, and he has been under suspicion of contacting Huh several times before Huh left for Indonesia.

Jin-Kyun Kil leon@donga.com