South Korean prosecutors may summon Roh again

South Korean prosecutors may summon Roh again

SEOUL (Reuter): State prosecutors said yesterday they were
considering summoning disgraced ex-president Roh Tae-woo again
after questioning heads of South Korea's top business
conglomerates over his US$654 million slush fund.

"Former president Roh Tae-woo can be resummoned for more
questioning," senior prosecutor Ahn Kang-min told reporters.

Local media and many political commentators have speculated
that summoning Roh again would be a prelude to his arrest. This
would make him the first South Korean head of state, serving or
retired, to face criminal action.

The economic daily Maeil Kyungje quoted government sources as
saying Roh would be arrested on Nov. 20.

Ahn, who is leading the inquiry into the slush fund scandal,
said the prosecution had not decided whether Roh would be
summoned again.

Late last month Roh, 62, tearfully confessed that he amassed
$654 million during his 1988-1993 term in office through
donations from big business conglomerates.

When Roh was summoned for the first time last week, he told
prosecutors that he either could not reveal or did not remember
how he amassed and concealed the slush fund.

Ahn said yesterday the prosecutors ordered five more business
moguls, including the chairmen of Sunkyong Kia and Kumho groups,
to appear before them to find out if they offered money to Roh as
kickbacks for lucrative state projects.

Sunkyong head Chey Jong-hyun is Roh's relative by marriage.

Ahn said the chairman of the giant Daewoo Group which is
alleged to have helped Roh convert some $39 million in his false-
name bank accounts into real-name accounts, would be called in
tomorrow or Monday.

He said Dong Bang Group chairman Shin Myoung-soo, whose
daughter is married to Roh's son, left the prosecutors' office
yesterday morning after being grilled for more than 48 hours over
allegations that he and Roh were partners in property
speculation.

Prosecutors suspect that Roh bought two luxury office
buildings in Seoul under the names of two of the Dong Bang Group
subsidiaries. Ahn said Roh was also suspected of buying another
building in the capital.

Roh has said he kept $242 million when he left the
presidential Blue House. Prosecutors were trying to find out
whether the money was used for real estate speculation.

They are particularly interested to know how Roh's relatives
were involved and whether they helped him siphon off money to
secret bank accounts in Switzerland, Ahn said.