Suspicious funds prompt raid on dissolved UPP members

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors` Office conducted a search and seizure on houses of former Unified Progressive Party (UPP) members on Thursday, as a part of the investigation on suspected illegal political fundraising by the dissolved party.

Prosecutors seized documents and a hard drive of the personal computer of Ahn Dong-seop, former party secretary general who was one of the targets of search and seizure operations. He is believed to have kept data including the now-defunct party’s account books that shows flow of the political party fund. On March 17, prosecutors have raided cars of some party members in charge of accounting for the party’s central and municipal operations.

The National Election Commission indicted in February 29 former UPP members for illegal political fund of 670 million won (approx. 613,050 U.S. dollars) raised through supporters’ association from 2013 to 2014. The commission also requested for the prosecutors’ investigation on 22 former UPP members including six former lawmakers.

The prosecution has been analyzing data on donation and government subsidies of former UPP lawmakers provided by the election commission over a month. Prosecutors will summon and investigate former party executives immediately after analysis on the data and seized materials is finished.

dnsp@donga.com