Former president Roh's aides detained for suspected bribery

By Tony Chang
SEOUL, March 23 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors on Monday detained two more aides of
former President Roh Moo-hyun for allegedly taking bribes from a businessman, a
financial supporter of Roh, who has been indicted on charges of tax evasion and
influence peddling.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office said that it has taken into custody Park
Jung-gyu, senior secretary for civil affairs from 2004 to 2005, and Chang In-tae,
former vice minister of public administration, on suspicion of receiving several
hundreds of millions of won from Taekwang Industry Co. Chairman Park Yeon-cha.
The Taekwang chairman, believed to be a major sponsor of Roh and other
politicians, was indicted last year on charges of evading some 24 billion won
(US$17.2 million) in taxes and insider trading.
There is also suspicion that he may have bribed a former head of state-controlled
lender Nonghyup to purchase its securities affiliate in 2006. Roh's elder
brother, Roh Gun-pyeong, has been arrested on charges of exerting influence in
the process of concluding the deal.
Park Jung-gyu is under suspicion of taking money from the Taekwaong chairman
while serving under Roh. He reportedly formed close ties with the former
president when studying together for the state judicial exam.
Former vice minister Chang is also suspected of receiving hundreds of millions of
won from the Taekwang head for campaign funds when he ran for governor of South
Gyeongsang Province in June 2004.
Prosecutors on Sunday sought an arrest warrant for Choo Boo-kil, a former public
relations aide for President Lee Myung-bak, on charges of receiving bribes from
Park Yeon-cha in return for using his influence to halt a tax probe into Taekwang
Industry.
Investigators said they plan to file for an arrest warrant later Monday for Rep.
Lee Kwang-jae of the main opposition Democratic Party who allegedly accepted
illegal campaign funds from Park Yeong-cha.
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)