President’s brother questioned

Lee Sang-deuk, the elder brother of President Lee Myung-bak and a former six-term lawmaker, answers a reporter’s question about bribery allegations he is facing as he enters the Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office in southern Seoul, Tuesday. / Korea Times photo by Koh Young-kwon

Lee’s political mentor may face arrest for bribery

Prosecutors questioned President Lee Myung-bak’s elder brother Lee Sang-deuk Tuesday over allegations that he accepted bribes from troubled savings banks.

The former National Assembly vice speaker was grilled on whether the money was used for his younger brother’s 2007 presidential campaign.

The prosecution also issued a summons for Chung Doo-un, a three-term lawmaker of the ruling Saenuri Party who worked as a key campaigner for the President. He will be questioned Thursday over his alleged involvement in the scandal.

The party’s floor leader Rep. Lee Hahn-koo hinted that the party may push for a parliamentary probe into the corruption scandal involving savings banks and politicians.

The elder Lee, recognized as a political regent to President Lee, also faces allegations that he took illegal political funds from Kolon Group, where he once served as an executive.

Prosecutors indicated that, following the questioning, they may seek a court warrant to detain him for further inquiries, saying they have already secured evidence that supports the bribery allegations.

“It’s really heartbreaking,” the 77-year-old former six-term lawmaker told reporters as he entered the Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office. “I will answer questions from prosecutors to the best of my ability.”

A group of some 100 civic activists held a rally outside the office to call for harsh punishment of Lee and presidential aides involved in corruption cases.

He is known to have wielded great influence behind the scenes, along with Choi See-joong, former chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, and Park Young-joon, former knowledge economy vice minister. Both Choi and Park have already been indicted on bribery charges.

The elder Lee allegedly took some 600 million won ($525,000) from Lim Suk, chairman of Solomon Savings Bank, on several occasions between 2007 and 2010. According to investigators, the politician allegedly also took money from Mirae Savings Bank Chairman Kim Chan-kyung. Solomon and Mirae are among several lenders that reportedly bribed a number of politicians and government officials to avoid audits and crackdowns. Operations of the community banks have been suspended due to capital shortages and illegal business practices.

Some opposition lawmakers have raised the possibility that some of the money from the savings banks was used as campaign funds during the presidential election in late 2007. At the time, Lee worked as a key campaigner for his younger brother.

He was also questioned about the nature of 150 million won he took from Kolon Group and the 700 million won found in a bank account that belonged to one of his aides early this year.

Rep. Lee, the Saenuri floor leader, said in a radio program that he is willing to positively consider a proposal from opposition parties for the National Assembly to investigate the savings bank scandal.

“We need to hold a parliamentary hearing on this case, if necessary,” the lawmaker said. “The previous and current administrations failed to resolve the problems in savings banks which bribed influential figures.”

Last week, the prosecution suggested possible involvement of some incumbent lawmakers in the bribery scandal. They include Saenuri’s Chung and Park Jie-won, the floor leader of the main opposition Democratic United Party. Both Park and Chung flatly denied the bribery allegations.

According to some news reports, the prosecution has secured testimony from savings bank executives that they provided money to a dozen ruling and opposition party lawmakers. A prosecutor refused to confirm the reports, only commenting that “the investigation is being conducted in a thorough and fair manner.” <The Korea Times/Na Jeong-ju>

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