Prosecutors raided the home and the offices of a main opposition party lawmaker on Thursday for an investigation into allegations that he bribed his way into parliament.
Rep. Choi Dong-ik of the Democratic United Party (DUP) is suspected of giving a total of 70 million won ($62,389) to former lawmaker Jang Hyang-sook over three different occasions between last March and April of this year, prosecutors said.
The money was given in return for her help in securing a proportional representative ticket in April's election, they said.
Choi, president of the Korea Differently Abled Federation, eventually won the election on the party's proportional representation ticket.
Jang, a former lawmaker of the Uri Party which is now renamed the DUP, is also suspected of accepting a total of 33 million won over two different accounts early this year from another lawmaker hopeful, surnamed Kwon, who also allegedly asked for her help in securing the spot on the proportional representation ticket.
Scores of prosecutors and investigators have seized computer hard disks and other relevant materials from the homes and offices of persons concerned that could support the allegations.
Meanwhile, prosecutors earlier in the day raided the home of Hong Sa-duk, a close aide to ruling party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye, as part of an investigation into allegations that he took illegal political funds.
Hong, a former co-chairman of Park's primary campaign team and a former six-term Saenuri Party lawmaker, is suspected of receiving a total of 60 million won in illegal political funds from a businessman, surnamed Jin, over three different accounts between last autumn and March of this year.
Scores of prosecutors and investigators are searching the residence as well as the office of Hong and two to three offices of the company headed by Jin to seize accounting books, computer hard disks and other relevant materials that could support the allegations.
Following the prosecutors' launch of an investigation into the alleged case, Hong on Tuesday left the party in a bid to minimize fallout ahead of December's presidential vote.
The 69-year-old Hong maintains his innocence, flatly denying the suspicions against him.
Prosecutors secured a detailed testimony from Jin's driver, who was twice summoned for questioning, that the money had been delivered to Hong.
The scandal could deal another blow to Park and the ruling Saenuri Party, which recently expelled one of its lawmakers over allegations she bribed her way into parliament.
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office (SPO) on Monday launched the investigations into the former and incumbent lawmakers after the National Election Commission filed the cases.
The probes join a number of ongoing investigations involving both the ruling and opposition party members who are suspected of exchanging money for favors. (Yonhap)