By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff reporter
The prosecution said Thursday that it has asked former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook to appear for questioning today over a bribery case in which she allegedly received illegal political funds from a jailed business man in early 2007.
Prosecutors also summoned a close aide to the ex-premier, identified only by her surname Kim, who managed the financial matters of Han's campaign office, to answer investigators' questions about her role in the alleged bribery scandal.
They said it still remains uncertain whether Han and Kim will appear for questioning as requested. Investigators plan to ask both individuals to come to the prosecutors' office one more time if they refuse to comply.
But the former prime minister has said she will not appear before the prosecution, calling the investigation "politically-motivated." An official at the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) also said Thursday that Han will not change her stance under any circumstance.
Investigators may consider seeking an arrest warrant for Han. But more likely they will indict her without physical detention, given a strong backlash from the opposition parties if they seek to detain her forcefully.
According to the Central District Prosecutors' Office, the ex-premier is suspected of accepting 900 million won ($757,000) in illegal political funds in March 2007 from Han Man-ho, the president of the now-bankrupt Hansin Construction in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, who was jailed for embezzlement and other irregularities after his company went under.
The jailed CEO alleged that he had offered the bribes to Han on separate occasions since March 2007 to seek favors in winning state-funded construction projects. But the former prime minister denied the allegations.
The prosecution suspects that the ex-premier received illegal political funds in early 2007 to pay for operating expenses of her campaign office in Goyang after she left the Office of the Prime Minister.
If she appears, investigators plan to question her on how she received the bribe from the CEO of the construction firm and how the money was spent.
Meanwhile, investigators plan to question Kim, who earlier admitted to receiving 300 million won in "political funds" from the jailed builder, adding she was deeply involved in the bribery case and had extensive knowledge of the former prime minister's finances.
The female aide to Han had said she returned 200 million won to the builder, while keeping the remaining 100 million won, claiming the ex-premier had nothing to do with it. The prosecution also plans to probe an allegation that Kim took tens of millions of won separately from the head of the construction firm, besides the 900 million won.