The elder brother of former President Roh Moo-hyun appeared before prosecutors Tuesday for questioning over allegations he received hundreds of millions of won in kickbacks to influence the award of a land reclamation project in 2007 while the late president was in office.

Roh Geon-pyeong, 70, is suspected of receiving 940 million won ($814,280) in return for helping a land developer win a license to reclaim more than 170,000 square meters of land in the southern port city of Tongyeong.

The money was allegedly raised through the sale of a portion of the company's shares, which had been acquired by an in-law of Roh.

Looking grim-faced, Roh arrived at the prosecutors' office in Changwon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, almost an hour before he was due, and entered the building without responding to reporters' questions.

Lee Joon-myung, a prosecutor at the Changwon prosecutors' office, told reporters the prosecution has confirmed the use of about 300 million won, which was allegedly transferred to Roh in checks.

He also said about 100 million won was spent on building the late president's private residence.

Roh is expected to be questioned once more before the prosecution decides whether to seek an arrest warrant for him, Lee added.

Roh was convicted of taking bribes in a 2006 corporate takeover deal and served a prison term in 2010 before being released under a presidential pardon in August that year.

His brother, the former president, killed himself in 2009 amid a widening corruption probe involving his family. (Yonhap)