Indictment in bribery case

The Supreme Public Prosecutors Office announced yesterday the indictment and detention of Kwon Roh-kap, a former adviser to the ruling Millennium Democratic Party, on charges of receiving 20 billion won ($17 million) in bribes from the Hyundai Group.
Moon Hyo-nam, a senior prosecutor dealing with the case, said that Mr. Kwon received 20 billion won from Hyundai before the legislative elections in April 2000 and used 15 billion won of that amount to help fund the campaigns of ruling party candidates who were running in those elections for National Assembly seats. Kim Yeong-wan, a fugitive arms dealer who prosecutors believe laundered the 20 billion for Mr. Kwon, was thought to be hiding in the United States. He was suspected of keeping the remaining 5 billion won that Mr. Kwon did not use as political donations, Mr. Moon said.
Prosecutors received written statements from Mr. Kim about his alleged money-laundering recently through his attorney. The statements said, “I received 20 billion won in cash from Chung Mong-hun, Hyundai Asan’s late chairman, and delivered 15 billion won of that amount to Mr. Kwon. And I am keeping the remaining 5 billion won of the 20 billion won for Mr. Kwon.” The statements said: “Mr. Kwon said he borrowed 1 billion won from me to fund the 2000 legislative election campaigns, but that is not true.” So far, Mr. Kwon has strongly denied the charge that he received money from Hyundai, saying, “I borrowed 10 billion won in cash from several acquaintances and 1 billion won from Mr. Kim. I gave the money to Kim Ok-too, secretary-general of the ruling party at that time, and paid back 80 percent of the borrowed money.”
But after questioning Kim Ok-too, now a ruling party lawmaker, over the phone, prosecutors found that Mr. Kim’s account differed from Mr. Kwon’s regarding the money.
Mr. Moon also said, “While tracing the bank accounts of Mr. Kwon and his aides, we found that a large sum went into those accounts. We cannot reveal the origin and the size of the sum of money, and we have not been able to determine yet whether the money consisted of bribes or not.” Speaking to reporters, Mr. Moon hinted that Mr. Kwon, a political kingpin loyal to former President Kim Dae-jung, received bribes before the 2000 legislative elections from other companies in addition to Hyundai.

by Moon Byung-joo