State prosecutors said Saturday that the chairman of food and entertainment giant CJ Group has been summoned to appear for questioning early next week over his alleged stashing of slus funds.
The chairman, Lee Jae-hyun, has been told to show up for questioning on Tuesday, said the prosecutors who requested anonymity.
Lee is suspected of stashing millions of dollars in secret funds by using fake deals on expensive art pieces, which allowed him and his family to evade up to 50 billion won (US$4.3 million) in taxes.
Informed sources have said dozens of CJ Group's executives have purchased up to 300 famous works of art since 2005.
The Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office probing the case is putting its efforts toward proving that Lee is the actual owner of the artworks and that he used the names of the company's executives to acquire them, according to the sources.
In connection with the probe, Hong Song-won, head of Gallery Seomi, was twice summoned by prosecutors earlier this week to face questioning over suspicions that she had assisted Lee in stashing funds by inflating the costs or forging papers in the purchase of the artworks.
Among the items are high-value pieces by leading contemporary artists such as Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons, they added. (Yonhap News)
