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검찰이 16일 오후 경기도 연천군 허브빌리지에서 전두환 전 대통령의 미납 추징금 집행과 은닉 재산 적발을 위해 압수수색·압류 절차를 진행하는 가운데 관계자들이 불상을 옮기고 있다. (연합뉴스) |
전두환 전 대통령의 미납 추징금 집행과 은닉 재산 수사에 나선 검찰은 17일 전씨의 친인척 주거지 12곳과 장남 재국 씨가 운영 중인 시공사 관련 회사 1곳 등 총 13곳에 대해 압수수색을 진행 중이다.
서울중앙지검 외사부(김형준 부장검사)와 '전두환 추징금 집행' 전담팀은 합동으로 전날에 이어 수사진 80∼90여명을 서울과 경기도 등지로 보내 추징금 관련 자료를 확보하고 있다.
압수수색은 이날 오전 11시부터 동시에 진행됐다. 대상 주거지가 있는 지역은 서울 10곳, 경기도 2곳으로 전해졌다.
검찰은 전 전 대통령이 친인척의 명의를 빌려 차명계좌를 개설해 비자금을 관리 해 온 것으로 의심되는 정황을 포착하고 은닉 재산을 찾아내기 위해 이틀째 압수수색에 나선 것으로 알려졌다.
검찰은 주거지와 회사 사무실에서 회계 자료와 금융거래 내역, 컴퓨터 하드 디스크, 전씨 일가와 관련된 각종 문서 등을 확보한 것으로 전해졌다.
현행 금융실명제법상 은행 계좌의 경우 개설할 때에만 실명 확인이 필요하며 일 단 실명이 확인된 계좌로 계속 거래할 때에는 실명 확인 의무가 없다.
따라서 검찰은 전 전 대통령 측이 자신의 이름이 아닌 친인척의 명의로 차명 계좌를 개설한 뒤 비자금 관리나 자금 세탁용으로 사용한 게 아닌지 의심하는 것으로 알려졌다.
검찰은 또 전씨가 대법원에서 유죄와 거액의 추징금이 확정되자 주택•대지 등 일부 자산이 강제 집행을 당할 것으로 예상하고 친인척과 일정한 약속 하에 소유권을 넘기는 형태로 몰래 관리해 왔을 가능성에 주목하고 있다.
검찰은 이처럼 추징금의 강제 집행을 회피할 목적으로 부동산을 명의신탁한 경 우 추징 대상이 된다고 판단하고 있다. 전씨의 비자금으로 사들인 재산은 불법원인 급여 또는 부당이득에 해당한다고 검찰은 보고 있다.
검찰은 전씨 일가의 자산 내역과 친인척을 동원한 차명 관리 실태를 종합적으로 파악해 전 전 대통령의 은닉 재산이거나 과거 비자금으로 마련한 재산이 드러날 경우 추징해 국고로 환수할 방침이다.
<관련 영문 기사>
Children’s wealth focus of hunt for Chun’s assets
The investigators looking into former President Chun Doo-hwan’s hidden assets raided 13 additional locations including the homes of his relatives on Wednesday.
The locations raided on Wednesday include a company connected to the publishing firm Shigongsa, which is operated by Chun’s eldest son Chun Jae-kook, and 12 residential properties owned by Chun’s relatives and associates.
According to sources, the raids were prompted by circumstantial evidence that Chun has been managing his assets under names of relatives and associates.
On the second day of raids, the prosecution also began analyzing material seized from the former president’s relatives on Tuesday, giving momentum to the efforts at collecting outstanding fines from Chun.
In 1997, Chun was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to pay 220.5 billion won ($196.4 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.
On Tuesday, prosecution and National Tax Service investigators raided 18 locations including Chun’s home and the businesses owned by his sons to seize property and financial records.
Around 200 pieces of art work including paintings, pottery and Buddhist sculptures were seized. Most of the items were found at the homes of Chun’s relatives, but those raiding the former president’s home are said to have found seven or eight items, including a piece by Lee Dae-won with an estimated value of about 100 million won.
While it remains to be seen whether the Chun family’s current wealth stemmed from the former president’s slush funds, all four of his children are reported to hold large assets.
In addition to Shigongsa, Chun Jae-kook operates Herb Village, a herb farm and holiday facility in Gyeonggi Province. Shigongsa recorded sales of about 44 billion won last year, and holds real estate properties with a combined value of about 30 billion won. The herb farm is also estimated to be worth 17 billion won.
Chun Jae-kook has also been shown to have established a paper company in the British Virgin Islands, into which a part of the former president’s slush funds is suspected to have been invested.
Chun Jae-yong, Chun’s second son, is estimated to be worth about 90 billion won while the youngest Chun Jae-man owns several buildings in central Seoul worth more than 12 billion won.
While the political parties have expressed general approval of the developments, the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic Party have shown varied responses.
The DP has highlighted its role in revising related laws that will give the authorities more power in confiscating Chun’s assets, while not missing out on the opportunity to criticize the prosecution.
“Fortunately the parliament passed the ‘Chun Doo-hwan act’ which the DP proposed, extending the statute of limitation until 2020,” DP spokesman Rep. Kim Kwan-young told reporters, saying that the timing of prosecution’s decision to form a special team raised doubts about its will to collect the fines. The team heading the investigation into Chun’s assets was formed in May. At the time, five months remained to collect the fines.
“It is hoped that (the prosecutors’ office) will execute the law properly this time around. All possible measures should be deployed to find and seize all hidden assets.”
The Saenuri Party on the other hand, has chosen to focus on the timing of the renewed efforts.
“The fact that the Park Geun-hye government is pushing ahead on something past administrations have failed to resolve must be welcomed,” Saenuri Party floor spokesman Rep. Kim Tae-heum said Tuesday.
By Choi He-suk
(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
