Thugs Caught Robbing Ex-President’s Relative
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
Police said Tuesday they had apprehended a group of thugs disguised as special investigators from the United Nations trespassing on the property of a former President's son-in-law in an attempt to steal presumed massive slush funds in his home's basement.
Gwangju Police Station in Gyeonggi Province said it had caught 32 people, including a retired warrant officer identified as Kim. Of them, four key suspects, including the retiree, were arrested, it said.
According to police, at midnight of Jan. 11, nearly 30 people wearing black uniforms surrounded a countryside cottage owned by former President Kim Young-sam's son-in-law, along with an excavator and trucks.
Rushing out of the gate to block their entry, the son-in-law, identified as Lee, was told ``we're here from the U.N. to retrieve massive slush funds stored in the basement of the house.'' They assaulted him when he denied the claim, police said.
They discovered nothing in the basement and only took 300,000 won ($220) from Lee's wallet, police said, concluding the crime was not politically-motivated.
During questioning, Kim said he was told massive funds collected during the former President's term had been piled up in cash there.
``He conspired the crime with two friends and then hired 24 males in their 20s and four excavator and truck operators, paying them 200,000 won each,'' an official said, adding Kim has an extensive criminal record.