By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
The nation's top tax official will be summoned Thursday for allegedly accepting a bribe and attempting to cover it up.
This is the first time for an incumbent National Tax Service head to be called in by the prosecution.
Prosecutors said Tuesday that they will summon NTS Commissioner Jeon Goon-pyo and request an arrest warrant from a local court if they confirm the allegation.
Jeon is suspected of taking 60 million won from former Busan Regional Tax Office chief Chung Sang-gon who sought promotion at the end of last year. The money was allegedly part of 100 million won Chung received from the Busan-based building constructor Kim Sang-jin in August last year in exchange for influence peddling.
Prosecutors will question Jeon over his alleged acceptance of the 60 million won as well as an alleged attempt to cover up the incident.
The incumbent head of the Busan tax office Lee Byeong-dae and several aides of Jeon are suspected of having interrogated Chung at a detention center between late August and early September after he was arrested on Aug. 16, and demanded he not testify to the prosecution about the money offered to Jeon. But the detention center said Lee's name was not on the list of visitors.
Prosecutors suspect Lee met Chung under Jeon's direction, and will question Jeon over the allegation. Officials of the Busan office said Lee has neither interviewed nor contacted Chung within the last month.
The prosecution plans to file bribery charges against Jeon, and if the attempt at a false testimony is confirmed, he will be arrested, considering he tried to destroy evidence, an official said.