Prosecution Looks Into Illegal Presidential Election Fund

Prosecution Looks Into Illegal Presidential Election Fund. March. 05, 2004 22:43. by Tae-Hoon Lee jefflee@donga.com.

The central investigation body of the supreme prosecution has revealed on March 5 that in relation to the investigation against the illegal presidential election fund, “We will disclose our measures to Lee Hoi-chang, the former head of Grand National Party (GNP), at the announcement of the investigation results, which is scheduled to be held on March 8.”

“We have not secured evidence that Lee has been directly connected to the collecting and misappropriating of the illegal presidential election fund, and we have not decided on how to dispose of him from the case.”

The prosecution has planned to disclose on March 8 their measures to the heads of the conglomerates who had provided slush funds to the political world, together with the addresses of such investigation results.

In addition, the prosecution has verified the fact that former GNP congressman Kim Young-il and attorney Seo Jeong-woo both received illegal funds of one and two billion won respectively from Korean Airlines, in advance of the presidential election, bringing an additional indictment against them.

The prosecution has also indicted Kim Jeong-gil, the chief executive of the Open Uri Party, who is under suspicion of illegally receiving 200 million won worth of slush funds from businessmen in the Busan area and giving it to Choi Do-sul, the former presidential aide, in December, 2002.

The prosecution has summoned Yeo Tack-soo, the administrative official of the first presidential aide department, and Ahn Hee-jung, in order to check on the reasons of their appropriation of 200 million won out of the 300 million won, which Yeo received from Lotte, for the purpose of organizing the Open Uri Party.

On the other hand, six executives of five economic organizations such as the Federation of Korean Industry’s chief, Kang Shin-ho, have visited the headquarters of the supreme prosecution in Seoul on this day in order to request ending the investigation as soon as possible and to take the appropriate measures for the relevant company CEOs.