Prosecutors raid firm run by presidential aide's wife

Prosecutors on Monday raided a company headed by the wife of scandal-marred senior presidential aide Woo Byung-woo, as well as a branch of the Seoul police.

The raid came six days after prosecutors launched a task force to investigate corruption allegations involving the civil affairs presidential secretary Woo and the suspected info leak by special inspector Lee Seok-su who had probed the suspicions. 

Led by Yoon Gap-geun, chief of the Daegu High Prosecutors’ Office, investigators confiscated computer hard disks, accounting books and documents during raids on the office of Woo’s family-owned firm Jeonggang in southern Seoul and an office of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in central Seoul.

Woo has been under investigation for allegedly misappropriating funds from the company by leasing a luxury sedan and paying for his and his family members’ phone bills with company money. He is also accused of using his position to help his son get assigned to a relatively easy post as a policeman during his military service.

The prosecution also raided the local gaming company Nexon Korea, which is suspected of buying real estate owned by Woo’s family in southern Seoul, allegedly at much higher than the market price in 2011. The company resold it one year and four months later, upon the withdrawal of its plan to build new headquarters in Seoul. Woo has flatly denied all the accusations.

The government-appointed inspector Lee asked the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to open a formal probe into his alleged charges of embezzlement and abuse of power last month.

Meanwhile, Lee’s office in central Seoul was also raided over suspicions that he exposed details of the investigation into Woo’s case to a local media outlet through a messaging app. Under the law, a special inspector can face a jail term of up to five years for leaking information about an ongoing probe.

Prosecutors said they had seized the mobile phones of Lee and an unspecified reporter from local broadcaster MBC.

Over the weekend, the special team brought in for questioning Yoon Young-dae, the head of nonprofit organization Spec Watch Korea, who had filed a complaint against Woo.

The prosecution also took statements from the head of a right-wing and Catholic organization, surnamed Lee, who had filed a complaint against special inspector Lee.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)