Investigators of bribery case may summon Lee Sang-deuk

Prosecutors investigating allegations surrounding SLS Group chairman Lee Kuk-chul may summon Rep. Lee Sang-deuk.

According to reports, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office is reviewing plans to summon Rep. Lee, who is President Lee Myung-bak’s elder brother, in relation to the money his aide received from the businessman.
The SLS Group chairman was indicted in early December on a number of charges including bribing government officials to keep the conglomerate afloat and to avoid a prosecutors’ investigation.

In addition, Lee was found guilty of submitting false financial statements and bribing a Korea Trade Insurance Corp. official in an effort to raise his company’s credit rating, for which he has been given a five-year probation sentence.

Rep. Lee’s aide Park Bae-su was found to have received about 600 million won ($532,000) from SLS Group’s Lee through Daeyoung Logics CEO Moon Hwan-chul between 2009 and July 2011.

Both Moon and Park have been indicted and are being held by the authorities for related charges.

If Rep. Lee is summoned, the prosecutors are expected to focus on whether he was aware that Park, who has worked as his aide for 16 years, had received 500 million won and $90,000 from Lee Kuk-chul.

In addition, the investigators are also expected to question Rep. Lee about whether he was aware of the favors the SLS Group chairman was seeking.

Other questions in the case include whether Rep. Lee was aware of the fact that Park laundered the money he received using the bank accounts of four of his employees and the source of the 800 million won found in accounts held by his secretaries.

The 800 million was supposedly not their personal finances but for the operation of Rep. Lee’s office.

By Choi He-suk  (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)