Prosecutor Holds Q&A Session on BBK Allegations
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
The prosecution cleared Grand National Party presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak Wednesday of suspicions that he collaborated with financial scammer Kim Kyung-joon in alleged stock price rigging and embezzlement in 2001.
Kim Hong-il, the senior prosecutor in charge of the case, said in a media briefing at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, prosecutors could not find any evidence that proved the presidential candidate had been the de facto owner of the scandal-ridden investment fund BBK and its major investor DAS.
Following the 10-minute media briefing aired live, the senior prosecutor held a question and answer session.
On the question regarding procedures to verify the authenticity of the side agreement submitted by Kim Kyung-joon's mother, the senior prosecutor said it found evidence proving the controversial agreement was a forgery.
``If BBK's shares were sold to Lk e-Bank, we would have detected money-trades between the two companies especially in their account books and financial transaction history,'' Kim said. ``We also confirmed that the seal printed on the alleged side agreement was not the same as that of the presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak and also obtained information that Lee Bo-ra, Kim Kyung-joon's spouse, had ordered an office worker in July 2000 to reproduce Lee Myung-bak's stamp.''
But he did not comment whether Kim's wife and elder sister Erica Kim, a U.S. attorney, were involved in the scandal.
On the question regarding land in Dogok-dong, southern Seoul, which has been believed as a financial source for DAS, the prosecutor said investigators could not find evidence that the real estate was once owned by the presidential candidate.
Noting that they had searched a number of related ledgers and bank accounts made over the last nine years and called in several individuals involved, the senior prosecutor said it was impossible to find more evidence through the same means of investigation since they were able to look into bank accounts opened after 2002.
He also said Korean prosecutors had teamed up with the U.S. prosecution to investigate financial transactions made overseas especially in the U.S.
On the reason for Kim Kyung-joon's sudden homecoming, he simply said, ``It was done under the extradition treaty between Seoul and Washington.''