By Na Jeong-ju
The prosecution is considering indicting SLS Group Chairman Lee Kook-chul on defamation charges regarding allegations that he provided money to presidential aides, prosecutors said Friday.
It also plans to file bribery charges against former Vice Culture Minister Shin Jae-min for taking money and gifts from the businessman in return for favors.
The remarks indicate that the investigation into the high-profile bribery scandal that erupted following Lee’s revelations, is in its final stages. The prosecution has called in Lee and Shin for questioning several times and raided Lee’s house and office to secure evidence.
Prosecutors suspect that the former vice minister used SLS’s corporate credit cards and received cash as well as gift certificates from Lee from 2002 to 2009.
However, they concluded that the allegations involving other presidential aides, including Lim Jae-hyun, presidential secretary for policy publicity, and Kwak Seung-joon, head of the Presidential Council for Future and Vision, are not true. They also said there is no evidence supporting Lee’s allegations that he gave money to some senior prosecutors.
Lawmakers from the main opposition Democratic Party questioned the fairness of the prosecution’s probe, saying they will discuss whether to push for a parliamentary investigation into the case.
The chairman earlier claimed that he provided bundles of gift certificates worth 50 million won to Lim and Kwak through Shin and submitted their serial numbers to investigators. However, the prosecution said it found that the certificates were actually used by SLS officials and its business partners.
Early this month, Lim and Kwak filed libel suits against Lee, saying they never received any money from him.
Shin, a former journalist, admitted to having accepted money from Lee, but denied that he did anything wrong in return, according to prosecutors.
But prosecutors believe he was bribed.
“Shin used SLS’s credit cards and received gift certificates while serving as vice culture minister. That is a strong indication of influence-peddling,” a prosecutor told reporters asking not to be named.
SLS, a maker of train parts and vessels, has been under investigation for using a slush fund to bribe officials. Its subsidiaries have either gone bankrupt or been under government debt workout programs since 2009. In November last year, the chairman was sentenced to three years in prison for bribery, which was suspended for five years.
He earlier criticized the government, the tax office and financial authorities for “going hard on” him and his group, saying it is a conspiracy to steal his businesses.
He also claimed that prosecutors are playing down his accusations and acting as lawyers for the suspected presidential aides.
jj@koreatimes.co.kr