전두환 처남 이창석씨 검찰 소환

Published : Aug 12, 2013 - 17:59 Updated : Aug 12, 2013 - 17:59

전두환 전 대통령의 처남 이창석 씨 (연합뉴스)

검찰은 12일 전두환 전 대통령의 처남인 이창석씨를 서울 중앙 지방 검찰청으로 소환해 전 전 대통령의 미 추징금 조사를 확대했다.

검찰은 이날 오전 9시 50분에 이씨를 전씨의 불법 자금 운영을 도운 혐의와 전씨의 차남인 전재용씨의 회사 비엘애셋 (BL Assets)의 대출을 받는데 도와준 혐의로 소환 조사를 시작 했다.

BL 애셋은 두 개의 저축은행으로부터 지난 10년간 무려 97억원 상당의 대출을 받았는데 이 과정에서 이씨는 본인의 부동산 재산을 담보로 맡기며 전재용씨를 도와줬던 것으로 파악 됐다.

이씨는 검찰로부터 소환 조사를 받은 전두환 전 대통령 가의 첫 일원이며 이는 검찰이 추징금 환수 관련 혐의로 검찰이 전씨의 가족들을 법적으로 처벌하겠다는 의지가 크다는 것을 엿 볼 수 있다. 검찰은 전 씨와 그의 일가족뿐 만 아니라 이씨까지 전두환 전 대통령이 현직에 있던 전씨 일가가 1980년대에 뇌물 수수를 통해 재산을 모으는 것을 도운 혐의로 기소할 것을 고려중인 것으로 알려졌다.

검찰은 지난 5월부터 전 전 대통령의 167억원 상당의 금액에 해당 되는 미추징금 환수를 위해 특별 조사팀을 운영 중이며, 해외로 불법 자금을 빼돌린 것으로 의심 되는 전씨의 두 아들들 전재용씨와 전재국씨도 소환 조사 할 방침인 것으로 알려졌다. 검찰은 이를 위해 미국 법무국 관계자들에게도 협조를 요청했다. (코리아 헤럴드 조정은 기자/번역 정헌의 인턴 기자)

<관련 영어 기사>

Prosecution grills Chun’s brother-in-law

By Cho Chung-un

The prosecution on Monday questioned former President Chun Doo-hwan’s brother-in-law in a widening probe into the former military strongman’s hidden assets.

Investigators believe that Lee Chang-seok, brother of Chun’s wife Lee Soon-ja, played a crucial role in concealing massive slush funds of the former president’s family for nearly 30 years. Not only is he suspected of managing Chun’s slush funds, Lee also allegedly helped Chun’s children to amass fortunes through illegal transfers of wealth.

Lee appeared before Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office at around 9:50 a.m. on suspicion of assisting Chun’s second son Jae-yong of securing loand for his own business, prosecutors said. Lee allegedly offered his property as collateral to a local bank so that BL Asset, owned by the junior Chun, could apply for a big loan.

Last week, prosecutors raided two savings banks branch offices that lent money to businesses owned by Chun’s family. Sources say that the prosecution may have found evidence pointing to illegal activity by the banks with Chun’s assets. BL Asset has borrowed some 9.7 billion won ($8.7 million) from the two branches since late 2000, sources at the prosecution office said.

Lee is the first member of Chun’s family to be summoned by the prosecution. Summoning Lee indicates that the authorities are not only searching for concealed assets but also seeking ways to prosecute Chun and his family. The prosecution is reportedly considering indicting Lee as well on charges of assisting Chun and his family to accumulate wealth through bribes that the former president took while he was in power in the ‘80s.

The prosecutors’ office has been operating a special team to locate Chun’s hidden assets since May in an effort to collect outstanding fines from the former president.

In 1997, Chun was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to pay 220.5 billion won ($198.1 million) in penalties for leading an insurrection and accepting bribes while he was in power from 1980 to 1987. Of the total, 167.2 billion won remains outstanding.

The prosecution also plans to summon Chun’s two sons, Jae-yong and Jae-kook, suspected of evading tax and amassing illegal funds. The authorities have requested U.S. tax and law enforcement agencies for Chun‘s family’s case as they have long suspected the clan of concealing their assets overseas.

Prosecutors have been zeroing in on Chun and his family under the suspicion that the former president managed his secret funds with bank accounts under names borrowed from his relatives.

(christory@heraldcorp.com)