Prosecutors on Friday asked the court to issue arrest warrant for An Byung-yong, chief of a district-level GNP council, for his suspected involvement in a bribery scheme in the Grand National Party’s leadership election in 2008.
National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae won the 2008 race to become the GNP leader.
An, who was a member of Park’s campaign team, is suspected of handing 20 million won ($17,400) to five members of district councils with instructions to bribe 30 GNP officials.
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An Byung-yong (Yonhap) |
The investigators have uncovered documents that include the names and contact information of those suspected of being bribed.
An denied the documents’ link to the bribery scheme, saying that it was used to mark those who were in support of Park.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, An said that the speaker had not seen the list and that he was not “in a position to give directives.”
An also claimed that he was being “unjustly” accused, and that television reports showing him with Rep. Lee Jae-oh of the GNP was a ploy to remove Lee as a potential presidential candidate, indicating that Rep. Park Geun-hye or those close to her were using him in a wider scheme.
Aside from seeking the arrest of An, the investigators are honing in on the bank records of Rep. Park Hee-tae’s campaign aides.
According to reports, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office investigating the case has begun tracking the bank accounts of those who worked for Park during the campaign, including that of a man identified by the surname Cho. Cho is a former aide to Park, and was in charge of finances during the campaign.
In addition, investigators are looking into the official bank account used in the campaign.
The National Assembly speaker has been accused of bribing GNP lawmakers in the run up to the party’s chairmanship election in 2008. Park won the race and served as the GNP’s chairman until September 2009.
According to allegations made by the GNP’s Rep. Koh Seung-duk, Park attempted to bribe him with 3 million won just days before the vote.
The money was handed to Rep. Koh’s secretary by a man who is suspected of being Park’s former secretary Koh Myung-jin.
Koh, whose home was raided by the prosecutors on Wednesday, has denied that he made the delivery but admitted he received the money when Rep. Koh’s aide returned it.
In addition, investigators have secured the e-mail records of Koh and other officials in charge of funds during the campaign from the National Assembly.
By Choi He-suk
(
cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
