Prosecutors Monday detained two more aides of former President Roh Moo-hyun for allegedly taking bribes from a businessman, a financial supporter of Roh, who has been indicted on charges of tax evasion and influence peddling.
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office said that it has taken into custody Park Jung-gyu, senior secretary for civil affairs from 2004 to 2005, and Chang In-tae, former vice minister of public administration, on suspicions of receiving hundreds of millions of won from Taekwang Industry Chairman Park Yeon-cha, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The Taekwang chairman, believed to be a major sponsor of Roh and other politicians, was indicted last year on charges of evading some 24 billion won ($17.2 million) in taxes and insider trading.
There is also suspicion that he may have bribed a former head of state-controlled lender Nonghyup to purchase its securities affiliate in 2006. Roh's elder brother, Roh Gun-pyeong, has been arrested on charges of exerting influence in the process of concluding the deal.
Park Jung-gyu is under suspicion of taking money from the Taekwaong chairman while serving under Roh. He reportedly formed close ties with the former president when studying together for the state judicial exam.
Chang is also suspected of receiving hundreds of millions of won from the Taekwang head for campaign funds when he ran for governor of South Gyeongsang Province in June 2004.
Prosecutors Sunday sought an arrest warrant for Choo Boo-kil, a former public relations aide for President Lee Myung-bak, on charges of receiving bribes from Park Yeon-cha in return for using his influence to halt a tax probe into Taekwang Industry.