Samsung Chairmans Family Under Probe
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
An independent counsel investigating Samsung Group's alleged slush fund creation and bribery has expanded its probe to the whole family of the group's chairman, Lee Kun-hee.
The investigation team Friday requested related documents and residence data of Lee's family members from Yongsan Ward Office, to which Lee's family residence belong.
The team has also sent an official letter to other ward offices requesting residential data and records of relatives of Lee's family and executives of the group.
Based on such records, the team plans to look into real estate and property transactions and the transfers of wealth between family members, as well as tax payments.
The team said this series of actions is related to the probe into the allegations of slush funds.
``It's just part of efforts to collect necessary information and records for the investigation into the allegations of the group,'' Yoon Jeong-seok, an assistant prosecutor for the team, told reporters.
The Justice Ministry Thursday banned the group chairman's wife, Hong Ra-hee, from overseas travel in connection with the probe at the request of the special prosecutor.
It is now alleged that she bought expensive artworks with part of the group's slush funds through Hong Song-won, head of Seomi Gallery.
The probe team plans to summon the chairman's wife soon and question her over how she bought expensive paintings and whether the group's slush funds were used.
Along with the chairman's wife, the team also considers summoning other family members for the probe.