Special probe into Pres. Lee asks for 15-day extension

The special counsel probing President Lee Myung-bak`s questionable land deals for his retirement home project will likely ask for a 15-day extension of the investigative period Friday at the earliest. The deadline is Nov. 14.

Assistant independent prosecutor Lee Chang-hoon told a news briefing Wednesday that a final decision will depend on the progress of the probe. “If we make the request, we will likely do so Friday or Saturday,” he told reporters. Under law, a special counsel can request one extension for up to 15 days subject to presidential approval.

The special counsel tried to interrogate three staff members of the Presidential Security Service who are allegedly involved in the process of purchasing the land for the retirement home and bodyguards’ facilities on the suspicion of dereliction of duty. This was delayed for a day, however, as the suspects needed one more day to appoint their legal defense teams.

The special counsel discovered documents that needed further investigation after examining those submitted by the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae. A raid on the presidential office was also under consideration because it failed to submit a few requested documents.

Cheong Wa Dae failed to submit the original copy of an IOU that the president’s son claimed to have written at the presidential office when he borrowed 600 million won (552,756 U.S. dollars) from his uncle to buy the land. The special counsel did not yet identify the Cheong Wa Dae official suspected of writing replies to questions from prosecutors on behalf of the president’s son.

Investigators will question First Lady Kim Yoon-ok Monday or Tuesday after she returns from an overseas trip. She is accompanying President Lee on his visits to Indonesia and Thailand from Wednesday.

Also slated for questioning is Yim Tae-hee, who served as the president’s chief of staff when the land deals were being made.

jks@donga.com