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Sat, March 25, 2023 | 11:16
-------------------------
Prosecution raids Korea National Oil
`3천억 헛돈쓴 석유탐사' 경남기업·석유공사 압수수색
Posted : 2015-03-18 18:20
Updated : 2015-03-18 21:57
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Korea National Oil Corp. workers stand outside their offices at the state-run company's headquarters in Ulsan, Wednesday, which are being searched by prosecutors. / Yonhap
Korea National Oil Corp. workers stand outside their offices at the state-run company's headquarters in Ulsan, Wednesday, which are being searched by prosecutors. / Yonhap

Investigation into failed energy diplomacy expands


By Kim Rahn

Prosecutors raided the head offices of the Korea National Oil Corp. (KNOC) and Keangnam Enterprises, Wednesday, as part of their widening investigation into allegations of corruption surrounding the failed "energy diplomacy" conducted under the Lee Myung-bak administration.

The raid follows a series of reports by The Korea Times about suspicious money deals made between the KNOC and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq over the firm's energy development projects.

Prosecutors said they are currently focusing on an oilfield exploration project that the KNOC and Keangnam jointly conducted in Kamchatka, Russia, from 2005 to 2009. However, they indicated that the probe will expand to include other failed overseas energy projects.

Sources said the prosecution may target Lee's elder brother and former Saenuri Party lawmaker Lee Sang-deuk and former Vice Minister of the Knowledge Economy Minister Park Young-june, who led the energy diplomacy during the Lee administration.

Investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office seized documents, accounting books and computer files from the state-run KNOC's headquarters.

The search came several hours after a raid on the offices of Keangnam.

Prosecutors also raided the home of Keangnam Chairman Sung Woan-jong, a former ruling Saenuri Party lawmaker and a close confidant of former President Lee.

In the oilfield exploration in Kamchatka, a consortium consisting of the KNOC and other Korean companies invested some 300 billion won. The consortium held a 45 percent stake in the project — 27.5 percent by the KNOC, 10 percent by Keangnam and 7.5 percent by SK Gas.

But the project failed, and the KNOC withdrew from it in 2010.

Prosecutors said they obtained tips about embezzlement and other corruption cases while the consortium was pushing ahead with the investment although it knew the expected rate of return from the development would be poor.

The prosecution is looking into other energy projects — a development program for a nickel mine in Ambatovy, Madagascar, in which Keangnam took part in, together with the state-run Korea Resources Corp. (KORES) in 2008.

As Keangnam was unable to pay for its investment because of poor financial conditions, KORES paid 17.1 billion won on behalf of the firm. In 2010 when Keangnam withdrew from the project, KORES also bought the company's shares of the project at a price higher than stated in the contract, resulting in losses of 11.6 billion won.

In 2012, the Board of Audit and Inspection identified the losses, and it was alleged that KORES accepted the request for the share purchase from Sung because he was close to then-President Lee.

The investigation is expected to expand to other failed energy projects.

In the case of the KNOC's 2009 takeover of a Canadian oil producer, Harvest Operations, it purchased the company's debt-ridden affiliate, North Atlantic Refining Limited, at a higher-than-market price, causing losses of approximately 1 trillion won.

Regarding the deal, the BAI asked the prosecution to investigate former KNOC President Kang Won-young for breach of trust in January.

The Korea Times has reported allegations involving the KNOC, such as alleged shady deals made between the state firm and the Kurdistan government.

It is alleged that $31.4 million which the KNOC sent to the Kurdistan government through an HSBC bank account in return for the right to develop an oilfield there disappeared. Suspicions are that the money was offered as a bribe to ranking officials in the KRG or even to President Lee's aides.


`3천억 헛돈쓴 석유탐사' 경남기업·석유공사 압수수색

검찰 '자원외교' 본격 수사…러시아 유전사업 우선 타깃
경남기업 회장 성완종 前의원 집도 압수수색

검찰이 국고 손실 논란을 빚은 이명박 정부의 자원외교 사업 관련 의혹에 대한 수사에 착수했다.

서울중앙지검 특수1부(임관혁 부장검사)는 18일 서울 동대문구 답십리동 경남기업 본사와 울산에 있는 한국석유공사를 전격 압수수색했다.

검찰은 또 새누리당 의원 출신인 성완종(64) 경남기업 회장 자택 등도 압수수색한 것으로 알려졌다.

수사진은 석유공사와 경남기업의 러시아 유전 사업 관련 경영자료와 회계장부, 컴퓨터 하드디스크 등을 확보했다.

검찰은 경남기업과 석유공사 등이 참여한 한국컨소시엄이 2005년부터 2009년까지 러시아 캄차카 석유 광구 탐사에 3천억원 가량을 투자했다가 이렇다 할 실익을 거두지 못하게 된 과정과 연관된 비리 혐의를 포착한 것으로 전해졌다.

당시 한국컨소시엄은 사업 지분 45% 정도를 보유하고 있었다. 석유공사(27.5%)와 경남기업(10%), SK가스(7.5%) 등이 참여했다.

이 사업은 개발 성과를 내지 못했고, 석유공사도 2010년 사업 철수 결정을 내렸다.

검찰은 광구의 기대수익률이 매우 낮다는 지적을 받고도 한국컨소시엄이 사업을 끌고 간 과정에서 불법적인 혐의의 단서를 찾아낸 것으로 알려졌다.

법조계에서는 검찰이 이 사업의 기대 이익률을 부풀리는 방식으로 금융기관을 속였다든지, 사업비 처리 과정에서 횡령·배임이 발생했을 가능성에 주목하고 있다는 관측이 나온다.

수사는 러시아 광구탐사 외에 다른 해외 자원 개발 사업으로 확대될 전망이다.

이날 압수수색이 진행된 경남기업만 해도 2008년 한국광물자원공사가 벌인 아프리카 마다가스카르 암바토비 니켈광산 사업에 참여했다.

광물공사는 경남기업이 자금 악화로 투자비를 못 내자 2008년께 171억여원을 대납했고, 2010년에는 계약조건에 적힌 내용보다 더 높은 가격으로 경남기업의 사업 참여지분을 인수해 주기도 했다. 광물공사는 지분 고가 매입으로 116억원의 손실을 입었다는 의혹을 받고 있다.

경남기업은 2007년 석유공사가 추진한 아제르바이잔 유전 개발 사업에도 지분 투자를 했고, 이듬해에는 석유공사·한화·삼천리·SK가스 등과 함께 미국 멕시코만 중부 심해 가스탐사사업에 참여한 바 있다.

석유공사의 경우, 캐나다 정유회사인 하베스트사를 2009년에 인수하면서 그 계열사인 날(NARL)사를 시장가격보다 높은 가격에 함께 사들여 회사에 1조원대의 손해를 끼친 혐의를 받고 있다.

이와 관련, 감사원은 지난 1월 강영원 전 석유공사 사장을 배임 혐의로 검찰에 고발한 상태다. (연합뉴스)
Emailrahnita@ktimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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