By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Prosecutors will question former first lady Kwon Yang-sook over the weekend about how she spent the $1 million given to her by Park Yeon-cha, disgraced CEO of shoemaker Taekwang.
She reportedly said she used most of the money for overseas study expenses for her children ㅡ a partial admission to the prosecution's suspicions.
Former President Roh Moo-hyun's aides said Friday that Kwon has finished drawing up a written statement about the money use for submission to the prosecution.
It was found that Park delivered the money to Cheong Wa Dae in June 2007. While prosecutors suspect it was bribe to the former head of state and the couple used it for their children, Former President Roh claimed it was Kwon's loan from Park to repay a debt.
Kwon admitted in the statement that she gave more than $700,000 of the money to her son and daughter for living expenses during their stay in the U.S., wiring some of it and handing over the rest to them in person when they visited Korea.
She also said she used the remaining money ㅡ roughly $300,000 ㅡ in paying back a debt, but did not give details.
The former first lady kept claiming that her husband was not aware of the money deal, saying she did not talk about it to Roh because he would not want to have a loan.
Prosecutors are likely to summon Kwon at the Busan District Prosecutors' Office as they did earlier. The summons will not open to public. After the questioning, the prosecution will decide whether to seek an arrest warrant for Roh.
In another bribery allegation involving Park, prosecutors will summon a 40-year friend of President Lee Myung-bak next week and a former top taxman for their alleged influence peddling to halt a tax audit into Park's business.
Sejoong Namo Tour Chairman Chun Shin-il, one of President Lee's friends, is suspected of having lobbied ranking tax officials to stop the audit last year. Investigators raided his home, office and homes of his business partners Thursday to secure financial documents.
Considering that Park and Chun are very close, the prosecution suspects Park expressed his gratitude for the lobby by helping Chun's business rather than giving money.
It is suspected that Chun directly lobbied then-National Tax Service chief Han Sang-ryule. Han is suspected of having downscaled the tax evasion amount in a report to Cheong Wa Dae and omitting a list of governing party heavyweights who allegedly pressured Han to reduce Park's tax dodging amount.
Han, who is currently staying in the U.S., will also face questioning soon.