검찰, ‘개인비리’ 포스코P&S 압수수색

Published : Apr 16, 2014 - 18:56 Updated : Apr 16, 2014 - 18:58

검찰이 16일 오전 9시 30분께 포스코의 자회사인 포스코P&S를 압수수색했다고 밝혔다.

울산지검 특수부(박종근 부장검사)는 이날 서울 강남구 역삼동 테헤란로에 위치한 포스코P&S 본사로 수사진을 보내 사무실에서 철강 거래와 관련한 각종 자료 및 컴퓨터 하드디스크, 회계 장부 등을 확보한 것으로 알려졌다.

검찰은 포스코 그룹 전반에 대한 조사가 아닌 자회사 포스코P&S의 간부에 대한 개인 비리 수사라고 강조했다.

하지만 포스코P&S의 핵심 사업이 철강 가공·판매와 비철소재 가공사업, 자원 리사이클링 등 철강업 전반에 관련돼 매출의 대부분이 포스코와 연관된 점을 고려하면 앞으로 경과에 따라 수사가 확대될 가능성도 있다.

포스코는 이미 지난해 9월 세무조사에서 자회사들과의 거래 과정에서 탈세나 위법 행위가 없는지 조사 받았다. 국세청은 이달 중으로 조사를 끝내고 법인 과징금 및 경영진에 대한 벌금 부과 등의 제재 방안과 수위 등을 검토하는 것으로 알려졌다.

서울지방국세청은 포스코가 철강 거래 중간유통 경로에 계열사를 ‘끼워넣기’ 식으로 동원, 매출을 늘려준 의혹이 있다면서 관련 내용을 최근 서울중앙지검에 고발한 상태다.

코리아헤럴드 석지현 기자

<관련 영문 기사>

Prosecutors raid POSCO unit after corruption allegations

Prosecutors on Wednesday raided a subsidiary of South Korea’s leading steelmaker POSCO over corruption allegations involving its officials.

A team of prosecutors obtained computer hard drives, account books and steel trading records from the offices of POSCO P&S in Gangnam, Seoul, to corroborate the charges, the prosecution said.

“The raid is solely focused on POSCO P&S, and not the whole group,” an investigator told local media on Wednesday.

Upon the raid, POSCO P&S officials said in a statement that they will fully cooperate with the investigation.

“We will heavily punish those responsible as a warning to others,” POSCO P&S said.

But local reports have suggested that the prosecution may widen its probe into POSCO group, as the subsidiary’s core business is largely related to the group’s overall steel business, including manufacturing, sales and resource recycling.

Officials from the group played down the possibility of the investigation spreading to the steel giant.

“As prosecutors said, the irregularities are known to have been done by some officials of the affiliate. It’s difficult to think that the accusations are connected to the group” a public relations official from POSCO told The Korea Herald.

POSCO, the country’s top steelmaker with 45 affiliates under its wing, underwent a tax audit for irregular practices in September without prior notice.

POSCO P&S was not part of the audit, the PR person said, though there might have been some documents linked to the subsidiary’s business records.

Following the inspection, the Seoul Regional Tax Office is known to have reported the group to the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office after finding evidence of attempts to raise sales records with unfair contracts.

As for the probe into POSCO P&S, the National Tax Agency might consider imposing a penalty if illegal practices are found in the ongoing investigation that is set to end this month.

POSCO P&S is a company specializing in manufacturing steel construction materials and nonferrous products. Last year, it recorded an operating profit of 28.9 billion won ($27.8 million) and 2.74 trillion in sales.

By Suk Gee-hyun

(monicasuk@heraldcorp.com

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