By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff reporter
Prosecutors are investigating a brother of former Prime Minister Han Myung-sook for alleged bribe-taking from a businessman in what is seen as a step to reopen their probe of a bribery case involving the ex-premier.
Investigators are also considering seeking an opinion from a "grand jury," to be established as part of its recent reform measures, before deciding whether to indict her for allegedly taking illegal political funds from the now-jailed businessman who owns a construction company.
According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Wednesday, investigators have found that in 2009 Han's brother paid for key housing rental money with a 100 million won ($83,000) check, which was issued in 2007 by Han Man-ho, the president of the now-bankrupt Hansin Construction in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The prosecution has been tracing his bank account records.
The builder, who has been in jail for embezzlement and other irregularities since his company went under, insisted that he provided 900 million won in illegal political funds to former Prime Minister Han to seek favors in winning state-funded construction projects. He alleged that he had offered the bribes to Han on separate occasions since March 2007.
Investigators reportedly secured testimony from a realtor who brokered the housing lease deal for Han's brother. The real estate agent reportedly confirmed that the brother paid for part of the housing deposit with a 100 million won check.
But prosecutors have not yet verified whether the check was part of the 900 million won that the former prime minister allegedly received, or separate funds provided directly to her brother from the company owner.
The prosecution plans to summon Han's brother soon to question him on how he obtained the check.
Ahead of the June 2 local elections, investigators had suspended a criminal investigation of Han to avoid suspicion that they were trying to sway public opinion in favor of the government party candidate Oh Se-hoon. Instead, they have been tracing bank accounts of the CEO of the bankrupt builder.
Han ran in the Seoul mayoral race on the main opposition Democratic Party's (DP) ticket, but lost to Oh in a neck-and-neck race.
A prosecution official said Wednesday that he could not confirm anything related to the ongoing investigation, adding investigators have not decided yet whether to present their case for indictment of the former prime minister to the envisioned "civic committee."