By Na Jeong-ju
President Lee Myung-bak’s elder brother, Lee Sang-eun, returned to Korea Wednesday to be questioned by an independent counsel over a dubious property deal involving Cheong Wa Dae.
Lee has been in China since leaving the country on Oct. 15, one day before key figures involved in the scandal were slapped with overseas travel bans. His departure triggered speculation that he was tipped off about the travel ban.
Lee arrived at Incheon International Airport around 1 p.m. He initially reserved a ticket for a flight to Busan, but changed his plan to avoid journalists, sources said.
He is known to have loaned his nephew and the President’s only son, Lee Si-hyung, 600 million won ($544,000) to help him purchase the land in southern Seoul for a retirement residence for his father. The President’s five-year term will end in February next year.
Lee Si-hyung will be summoned for questioning Thursday regarding the property deal. Lee Sang-eun is also expected to be summoned as early as this week.
The junior Lee bought the land together with the Presidential Security Service (PSS) in May last year. They signed a contract to buy the land in Naegok-dong for 5.4 billion won ($4.9 million).
The PSS paid 4.28 billion won of the money and the rest was paid by Lee Si-hyung. He reportedly borrowed 600 million won from his uncle Lee Sang-eun and the same amount of money from his mother, first lady Kim Yoon-ok.
The presidential family has been accused of having the PSS shoulder the lion’s share of the expenses. They allegedly violated the real estate transaction law, which bans contracts under false names.
Cheong Wa Dae cancelled the project to build Lee’s retirement residence after the scandal broke out.