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.