By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
The prosecution is expected to issue its interim report on the linkage of conservative presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak to an alleged financial scam on Dec.5.
The prediction came as financial scammer Kim Kyung-joon had his detention period extended for 10 more days to Dec.5.
Prosecutor Kim Hong-il said Sunday the court has accepted the request for extending the detention period of Kim, who is at the center of the BBK financial scandal.
During Kim's extended detention period, prosecutors will clarify whether Grand National Party (GNP) candidate Lee is the real owner of the asset management company BBK through which the Korean-American Kim manipulated stock prices.
The GNP candidate denied Kim's allegation that he is the real owner of the BBK.
The probe has now focused on proving the authenticity of alleged ``side contracts,'' which Kim's mother submitted to the prosecution along with other documents last Friday. She arrived in Seoul from the U.S. Friday morning, bringing with her what Kim alleges are the original copies of the behind-the-scenes contracts.
Kim was charged for stock rigging and corporate fund embezzlement while running BBK and Optional Ventures Korea six years ago.
Kim argued that he and Lee co-founded LK e-Bank, which was the holding firm of BBK, and Lee took part in the financial scam as the real owner of BBK. But Lee denies all the claims, simply denouncing them as ``groundless.''
The prosecution has sent the alleged side contracts to the National Institute of Scientific Investigation as well as the document verification bureau at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to verify them.
The submitted contracts include English-language side contracts with Lee's signature in his own handwriting and a Korean one with Lee's stamp, which Kim's family argue are original.
The investigation is also expected to enter a new phase as Kim's sister, Erica, is to visit Seoul soon. She helped out in her brother's business and thus allegedly knows much about the case.