By Jung Min-ho
Prosecutors confirmed Tuesday that five guns they found last week in the home of a Salvation Sect follower belonged to the deceased owner of the Sewol ferry, Yoo Byung-eun.
According to the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, they found two gas pistols, two old handguns and a 45-caliber air gun in the home of a relative of Yoo follower Kim Myung-sook.
During an interrogation early this month, she confessed that Yoo told her to keep the five bags containing the guns and 1.5 billion won ($1,455,000).
Yet she said she did not know "what was inside the bags" when she received them from Yoo, according to the prosecution.
No bullets were found in the bags.
"We are looking into how and why Yoo obtained the guns," a prosecutor told reporters.
Announcing an interim result of their investigation into corruption cases involving Yoo and his family members, prosecutors said they dropped the inquiry into Yoo because his death has been confirmed by the National Forensic Service.
"It's impossible to continue a probe into Yoo's personal misdeeds because Yoo died," the prosecutor said.
Yoo had faced many corruption charges, including embezzlement, breach of trust and tax evasion before his dead body was found on a remote farm in Suncheon last month.
Prosecutors alleged Yoo embezzled 129.1 billion won from Chonghaejin Marine, evaded 15.9 billion won worth of gift taxes and received 15 million won per month from the ferry operator as consulting fees.
The prosecution has indicted Oh Gap-ryeol, Yoo's brother-in-law and former ambassador to the Czech Republic, for helping him evade investigators.
"We have found that Oh played a vital role in helping Yoo," the prosecutor said. "Sometimes, he exerted influence on Yoo's followers by using his position to help him."
A massive manhunt had been under way for Yoo since the ferry Sewol sank off the country's southwestern coast on April 16, killing more than 300.
The prosecution office said it has also indicted Yoo Dae-kyun, Yoo's eldest son, on charges of misappropriating about 7.3 billion won from the ferry company and its six affiliates.
Prosecutors also alleged that the son, who was apprehended on July 25, pocketed 3.5 billion won from Chonghaejin Marine.
A total of 34 people, including Yoo's family members and aides, have been indicted for different charges in connection with the ferry disaster.
The investigation into the family of Yoo Byung-eun and the Sewol ferry disaster is now focusing on the dead billionaire's second son and business heir, Hyuk-ki, 42.
He is believed to be hiding in the United States, but if apprehended would face charges of stealing 56 billion won ($55 million) from affiliates of Semo Group, which was owned by his late father.
Investigators are also eager to secure custody of Yoo's eldest daughter, Seom-na, also known as Ennette Yoo, who has been detained in France since May 27.
She is awaiting an extradition hearing, which will be held in September.
 |
| Investigators show five guns and bundles of 50,000-won banknotes, totaling 1.5 billion won ($1,455,000), owned by the deceased owner of the Sewol ferry, Yoo Byung-eun, at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, Tuesday. / Yonhap |
According to the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, they found two gas pistols, two old handguns and a 45-caliber air gun in the home of a relative of Yoo follower Kim Myung-sook.
During an interrogation early this month, she confessed that Yoo told her to keep the five bags containing the guns and 1.5 billion won ($1,455,000).
Yet she said she did not know "what was inside the bags" when she received them from Yoo, according to the prosecution.
No bullets were found in the bags.
"We are looking into how and why Yoo obtained the guns," a prosecutor told reporters.
Announcing an interim result of their investigation into corruption cases involving Yoo and his family members, prosecutors said they dropped the inquiry into Yoo because his death has been confirmed by the National Forensic Service.
"It's impossible to continue a probe into Yoo's personal misdeeds because Yoo died," the prosecutor said.
Yoo had faced many corruption charges, including embezzlement, breach of trust and tax evasion before his dead body was found on a remote farm in Suncheon last month.
Prosecutors alleged Yoo embezzled 129.1 billion won from Chonghaejin Marine, evaded 15.9 billion won worth of gift taxes and received 15 million won per month from the ferry operator as consulting fees.
The prosecution has indicted Oh Gap-ryeol, Yoo's brother-in-law and former ambassador to the Czech Republic, for helping him evade investigators.
"We have found that Oh played a vital role in helping Yoo," the prosecutor said. "Sometimes, he exerted influence on Yoo's followers by using his position to help him."
A massive manhunt had been under way for Yoo since the ferry Sewol sank off the country's southwestern coast on April 16, killing more than 300.
The prosecution office said it has also indicted Yoo Dae-kyun, Yoo's eldest son, on charges of misappropriating about 7.3 billion won from the ferry company and its six affiliates.
Prosecutors also alleged that the son, who was apprehended on July 25, pocketed 3.5 billion won from Chonghaejin Marine.
A total of 34 people, including Yoo's family members and aides, have been indicted for different charges in connection with the ferry disaster.
The investigation into the family of Yoo Byung-eun and the Sewol ferry disaster is now focusing on the dead billionaire's second son and business heir, Hyuk-ki, 42.
He is believed to be hiding in the United States, but if apprehended would face charges of stealing 56 billion won ($55 million) from affiliates of Semo Group, which was owned by his late father.
Investigators are also eager to secure custody of Yoo's eldest daughter, Seom-na, also known as Ennette Yoo, who has been detained in France since May 27.
She is awaiting an extradition hearing, which will be held in September.
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