By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
One of the nation's iconic environmental activists is under investigation for alleged misappropriation of government subsidies.
The prosecution plans to summon Choi Yul, former head of Korean Federation for Environmental Movement (KFEM) and current president of Korea Green Foundation, to question whether he pocketed funds for personal use.
An overseas travel ban has already been imposed on Choi.
``We found that a government subsidy and corporate donations to KFEM had been deposited in about 80 bank accounts registered under Choi's name even after he left the group's secretary general post in March 2003,'' a prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said Wednesday.
Choi, founding member of the federation, was secretary general until March 2003 and was co-head until 2005. Since then, he has been at the foundation.
The prosecution raised the suspicion after it combed through financial documents of the civic group it had confiscated in a raid of the group's office in Seoul on Sept. 8. Through the raid, prosecutors found that Choi diverted hundreds of millions of won in government subsidy and corporate donations for investing in equity funds under his name.
``We'll question him over why his accounts were used after he quit the post, and whether he used the money for personal purposes,'' the prosecutor said.
Besides Choi, the prosecution will interrogate former and incumbent secretary generals of the NGO about the details of the group's use of government subsidies and corporate donations between 2004 and 2007, as well as about their alleged misappropriation of the money.
KFEM refuted the allegation. ``After Choi became the KFEM head, he was not involved in accounting,'' it said in a statement.
``In the past, civic groups could not open bank accounts under the groups' names, so they did under their heads' names. We also opened some accounts under Choi's name, and have kept some of them after he left the secretary general post.''
The group also claimed the probe is being conducted for political purpose. ``The government is trying to gag KFEM, a civic group that has spearheaded the protest against President Lee Myung-bak's cross-country canal project.''
The green foundation also urged the government to stop oppressing NGOs, apologize to Choi for defamation, and lift the overseas travel ban as Choi will not flee or destroy evidence. It said it would file a defamation suit against the prosecution unless their demands are met.