By Lee Kyung-min
Prosecutors have secured clues suggesting that former and incumbent high-ranking officials from the National Tax Service (NTS), the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) took bribes from the late Keangnam Enterprises Chairman Sung Woan-jong, a local daily reported Monday.
The prosecution refused to confirm the report, but sources said that Sung often had meetings with finance and tax officials after his company was placed under a court-administered debt-restructuring program in 2013.
The latest allegation came as the prosecution examines financial documents and Sung’s secret records secured during recent raids on his offices and home.
The Chosun Ilbo reported that a memo showed he met with former FSS Governor Choi Soo-hyun six times and FSC Chairman Shin Je-yoon four times since 2013, citing an unnamed source.
A couple of tax officials, former Woori Bank Chairman Lee Pal-seung and former Shinhan Bank Chaiman Seo Jin-won were also reportedly mentioned in the memo.
However, the newspaper didn't report whether people mentioned in the memo received money from Sung.
The allegations suggest that Sung attempted to seek their influence in order to turn around his debt-ridden company.
Keangnam was often investigated for tax evasion over the past years, paying a total of 29 billion won ($26 million) in additional taxes. It paid 4.4 billion won under former President the Roh Moo-hyun, 9.9 billion won under the Lee Myung-bak administration, and 14.6 billion won under the current Park Geun-hye government.
The prosecution said it is looking into allegations about whether the FSS exerted undue influence on the banks and creditors to help Keangnam.
It is reviewing bank account transfer records of related figures to confirm the bribery allegations.
Other than the authorities from the financial sector, the late Sung also sought to contact influential figures in the judiciary, said the prosecution.
Prosecutors believe that he attempted to seek favors before being convicted of Election Law violations which resulted in him losing his seat in the National Assembly.
He allegedly tried to impact the trial result by meeting with judges prior to his sentencing, the prosecution said.
The Supreme Court found him guilty in June last year and ordered him to pay a 5 million won fine.
Meanwhile, the prosecution said it has completed data analysis of a cell-phone tracking device and the phone call history of 11 aides close to the late Sung.
It added that necessary material was secured from computer hard disks and documents confiscated during the raid.
Evidence showed that the late Sung attempted to contact a number of political figures using burner phones through his aides, it added.