Hong Ra-hee |
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
The independent counsel investigating Samsung Group will summon Hong Ra-hee, the wife of group chairman Lee Kun-hee, to question her over allegations that she bought paintings with the group's slush funds.
It is the first time for Hong to be summoned.
An investigator said Tuesday that they had asked her to report to the counsel's office this afternoon.
``We'll question her over allegations about the artwork purchases, including how and with what money she bought the paintings,'' the investigator said.
Hong, 63, also director general of Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, is suspected of having purchased expensive paintings, including Roy Lichtenstein's ``Happy Tears,'' with part of the group's slush funds at overseas auctions through several Korean art galleries around 2002.
The counsel imposed an overseas travel ban on her in February and has questioned heads of the galleries.
The special prosecutor also confirmed earlier that Samsung Life Insurance shares registered under 11 Samsung executives' names actually belong to Lee, and that part of the dividends of the shares were spent in purchasing paintings.
``We'll ask her whether she was aware that the group had money in false-name stock accounts and if the money was spent buying paintings,'' the investigator said.
The counsel will interrogate her about the thousands of paintings found at a warehouse in the Samsung-run Everland theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The conglomerate claimed the paintings were collected by and inherited from the late group founder Lee Byung-chul.
Hong also faces questions about the group's alleged illicit wealth transfer from the chairman to his son through a below-market-price deal of Everland's convertible bonds.
The counsel is likely to wrap up its probe into the painting purchase allegation after Hong's questioning. It is that said her summons signals the probe is in its final stages, with a summons of the chairman remaining.
Business leaders are calling for the prosecutors to end the probe of Samsung at the earliest possible time. The nation's five major business associations urged the counsel Tuesday not to extend its probe period, saying the investigation is causing financial damage to not only the country's largest conglomerate but also the national economy.
rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr
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