Samsung Allegedly Oiled Prosecutors
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
A lawmaker said Wednesday that a priests' group has obtained a list of prosecutors who allegedly received bribes from Samsung Group and called for an investigation into the matter by independent special prosecutors.
Roh Hoe-chan of the progressive Democratic Labor Party said that a former director of the group's legal department had been given the list of prosecutors who regularly received bribes from the group by the Catholic Priests Association for Justice (CPAJ).
``How can these corrupt prosecutors fairly investigate allegations made against the group regarding as its huge slush fund raising and illegal succession of ownership,'' Roh said during a National Assembly audit of the prosecution. ``Independent special prosecutors should investigate all allegations against the group.''
The list was handed over to the CPAJ by a lawyer, Kim Yong-chul, who served as the director of a legal department attached to the secretarial office of the group's chairman, Roh said.
Prosecutor-General Chung Sang-myung said he wanted to look at the list it if it exists and will launch an investigation if it is proved reliable.
Samsung Group made no official statement concerning on the lawmaker's assertion.
On the previous day, Kim had disclosed to the priests association another allegation that the group systematically raised a massive slush fund using bank accounts it opened in the names of its employees.
The CPAJ made this allegation public during a news conference.
Kim claimed he had found some five billion won in cash and stocks in a bank account in his name which he had never opened, and that he had evidence to prove the allegation.
The group immediately denied the allegation, claiming that Kim's bank account was opened by an incumbent official at an accounting department of the group and the money in it was offered by a third person outside the company.
The prosecution is to launch an investigation into this allegation having been provided with some evidence. It plans to first check on Kim's bogus bank account to find out who actually put money into it.