By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff reporter
A close aide to former Prime Minister Han Myung-sook has admitted to receiving money from a jailed businessman in 2007, providing a boost to the prosecution's investigation into an alleged bribery case involving the ex-premier.
But the female aide, identified only as Kim, said Han was not aware of the money transaction, insisting the former prime minister had nothing to do with it, prosecutors said,
Kim told her lawyers that in March 2007, she took 300 million won ($250,000) in "political funds" from Han Man-ho, the president of the now-bankrupt Hansin Construction in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, who was jailed for embezzlement and other irregularities after his company went under.
But Kim said she returned 200 million won to the builder, while keeping the remaining 100 million won, claiming the ex-premier was ignorant of the affair.
The jailed CEO insisted that he provided 900 million won in illegal political funds to former Prime Minister Han to seek favors in winning state-funded construction projects.
He alleged that he had offered the bribes to Han on separate occasions since March 2007.
The former prime minister has denied the allegations.
Suspecting Kim of being deeply involved in taking and managing the alleged 900 million won, investigators said Wednesday that they will summon her on Friday for questioning.
The prosecution suspects that the ex-premier received illegal political funds in early 2007 to pay for operating expenses of her campaign office in Goyang after she left the Office of the Prime Minister.
Besides the 900 million won, investigators also plan to look into an allegation that Kim took tens of millions of won separately from the head of the construction firm.
A prosecution official said Kim has been making all kinds of excuses to postpone appearing before investigators, adding she will be thoroughly questioned in the near future.