Ex-president's son summoned over bribery case

SEOUL, April 12 (Yonhap) -- State prosecutors called in the son of former President Roh Moo-hyun Sunday for questioning over a widening bribery scandal involving one of Roh's financial supporters, prosecution officials said.

Roh Geon-ho returned from the United States late Saturday night to face a
prosecution probe over a graft case surrounding Park Yeon-cha, a businessman who
owns a shoe-making company. The junior Roh was staying in the U.S. as an employee
of LG Electronics Inc.
The businessman is accused of transferring US$5 million from his account in Hong
Kong to the husband of one of Roh's nieces. Prosecutors suspect the money was
delivered to the ex-president months before his five-year term ended in February
2008.
Prosecutors said the president's son will undergo questioning over whether he was
involved in the case, but added he faces no criminal charges at the present.
A national lawmaker and two former provincial government officials, all
supporters of the ex-president, have been arrested on charges of receiving large
amounts of cash in illegal funds from the businessman who is behind bars.
With the prosecution delving into the case, the former president admitted last
week that his wife, not he, had received an unspecified amount of money from the
businessman.
Local media, quoting prosecution sources, said the businessman had confessed to
having delivered a bag containing $1 million to the family of Roh while he was in
office.
Roh and his wife are expected to be summoned by prosecutors as early as this week.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
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