Ex-top prosecutor faces theft allegations

By Lee Kyung-min

Shin Seung-nam

Former Prosecutor General Shin Seung-nam, who is being investigated for sexually harassing a female employee of a country club of which he is the chairman, is facing a separate probe for alleged theft.

According to Bangbae Police Station in southern Seoul, a man, identified only by the surname Mah, filed a complaint Monday claiming that Shin broke into his office in September and stole documents and his stamp.

Mah alleged that Shin did so to secure managerial rights of Gubongsan Country Club in Gyeonggi Province, which the two have been in a dispute over.

According to the complaint, Shin invested 6.8 billion won ($6.1 million) in April to buy a 50-percent stake in the country club from Mah. Shin used the names of his wife, son and son-in-law to buy the stake.

Months later, Shin tried to force Mah to hand over his stake. Mah refused and Shin allegedly threatened to put him in jail using his power as a former prosecutor general.

Denying those allegations, Shin claimed that Mah is lying, police said.

“We are now collecting evidence to verify Mah’s claims,” an officer said. “We will soon question both of them.”

Separately, Shin is being investigated for molesting a female employee on June 22 last year at the Fortune Hills Country Club in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province.

Shin, 70, served as top prosecutor between May 2001 and January 2002 under the Kim Dae-jung administration.