Posted March. 25, 2009 08:58,
Prosecutors yesterday sought an arrest warrant for Lee Gwang-jae, 45, Democratic Party lawmaker and a confidant of former President Roh Moo-hyun.
Lee was charged with taking huge political bribes from Taekwang Industrial CEO Park Yeon-cha, who is in police custody.
Lee is suspected of taking 160 million won (115,000 US dollars) in the Korean and U.S. currencies on four occasions from Park between 2004 and last year.
Prosecutors also took into custody former vice minister of government administration Jang In-tae, 58, who is charged with taking 500 million won (362,000 dollars) from Park when he ran for governor of South Gyeongsang Province as a candidate of the then ruling Uri Party in June 2004.
Roh Gun-pyeong, the former president`s older brother, is known to have intervened in handing over the bribe.
Prosecutors said Roh Gun-pyeong asked Park to help him and Park handed the bribes to former Gimhae Mayor Kim Tae-woong, who was then the head of Jangs election camp. Kim took the money at a hotel parking lot in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, and gave it to Jang.
Also facing a probe is Park Jung-kyu, 61, former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs.