Roh a ‘suspect’ to be questioned this Thursday in Seoul

Former President Roh Moo-hyun will appear before prosecutors Thursday to be questioned in the widening influence-peddling scandal involving his long-time patron.

“The former president will appear at the Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office in southern Seoul at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday,” said Hong Man-pyo, a senior prosecutor in charge of the case. “Roh is being summoned as a suspect.”

The finalized summons schedule makes Roh the third former president of South Korea to become a suspect in a criminal investigation, following the precedents of Chun Doo Hwan and Roh Tae-woo.

The two military leaders-turned presidents had been convicted and served jail terms in 1995. Chun was convicted of high treason and Roh Tae-woo was found guilty of taking bribes. Both were pardoned in 1997 after serving about two years in jail.

Hong said Roh Moo-hyun will choose the means of transportation to appear for the questioning, adding that it will likely be a road trip. “We are discussing the specific method of travel with the security team,” Kim Gyeong-su, Roh’s secretary, said.

Roh will travel 360 kilometers (224 miles) from his home at Bongha village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang, to the prosecutors’ office in Seoul. By car, the trip takes about five hours.

Roh faces possible charges of comprehensive bribery, prosecutors said. The former president is accused of receiving money in return for providing business favors to Park Yeon-cha, chairman of Busan-based Taekwang Industrial. Prosecutors said Park provided $5 million to the husband of Roh’s niece and the money eventually ended up in the hands of Roh’s son. They also said Park gave another $1 million to Roh’s wife, Kwon Yang-sook. The money was given through Roh’s secretary, Chung Sang-moon, and the delivery took place at the Blue House, prosecutors said.

Roh has denied any illegality involving the money dealings. He has said he only learned about Park’s $5 million “investment” that went to his niece’s husband after his presidential term ended. He also said the other $1 million was a loan to Kwon from Park. Roh said he only learned about it recently, adding that his wife had used the money to pay off family debt.

Prosecutors, however, called the money bribes, not “investments” or “loans.”

Prosecutors said they have obtained testimony from Park that he had provided $5 million because of Roh. Park was also quoted as saying that he gave the other $1 million “at the request of then-President Roh.” Park also told prosecutors that Roh had asked for the money to buy his son a house.

Prosecutors also plan to question Roh about the allegation that he had tacitly allowed Chung, his administrative affairs secretary, to embezzle 1.25 billion won ($933,750) of Blue House funds earmarked for special presidential activities.

Prosecutors said they can accuse Roh of a comprehensive bribery charge because the former president is linked - whether directly or indirectly - to the provision of the $6 million. Prosecutors said the money can be seen as comprehensive bribes, arguing that Park received business benefits in return for the money.

Park’s business grew conspicuously during Roh’s term from 2003 to 2008, as his company took over a chemical company of Nonghyup, the agricultural cooperative, and won a thermal power plant construction project in Vietnam.

By Ser Myo-ja, Kim Seung-hyun [myoja@joongang.co.kr]