New Govt Officials Implicated in Samsung Scandal
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Some high-ranking officials in the Lee Myung-bak government are allegedly among the list of those who took bribes from Samsung Group, which, if proved true, could deal a severe blow to the new administration.
Former chief Samsung lawyer, Kim Yong-chul, and the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice, a priests' group supporting him, said they are considering disclosing the list of the allegedly corrupt officials.
Kim said in a radio interview Friday that those on the list include not only top officials from the Roh Moo-hyun government and high-ranking prosecutors but also some figures who were already named or are likely to be named as ministers or presidential secretaries for the new administration.
``I'm not sure whether I should make public their names, as disclosing the list at the beginning of the new government may look like I'm politically motivated,'' Kim said.
Last November, he disclosed the names of three high-profile prosecutors, including Prosecutor General Lim Chai-jin, and said there are many more.
``The priests and I have not decided when to open the list. We may hold a press conference,'' Kim said.
The priests' group also said they would soon decide whether to disclose the names, including the officials of the new government.
Top Samsung Officials Summoned
The move came after Kim and the group denounced the special probe team investigating several allegations involving Samsung for taking a lukewarm approach to key figures of the conglomerate.
Amid the criticism, the independent counsel summoned Samsung Group's planning office Vice Chairman Lee Hak-soo and President Kim In-joo Friday, following the summons of group chairman Lee Kun-hee's son a day before.
The two executives are suspected of having taken a key role in the group's alleged slush fund creation, bribery, and illegal transfer of wealth and managerial control from the chairman to the son.
Both of them belong to Samsung's strategic planning office, which allegedly orchestrated the conglomerate's alleged illegalities. Lee, the No. 2 man in the group, appeared before the special investigation team for the second time Friday, following the summons on Feb. 14. It's the first time that Kim has been summoned by the prosecutor team. Kim has been working at the group's strategic planning team since 1999.
Further summons are expected for other executives in the office.
The counsel asked Hong Seok-hyun, chairman and publisher of the JoongAng Ilbo, to present himself for questioning by early next week. Hong, brother of Samsung chairman Lee's wife Hong Ra-hee, is suspected of being involved in the illicit wealth transfer.
The probe team also plans to summon the group chairman and his wife before March 9 when its initial investigation period ends. It can extend the period for 45 days.
Investigators also seized computer files from Samsung Life Insurance headquarters in Seoul over allegations that the group collected slush funds through its affiliates.