Prosecutors send Roh questionnaire over bribery scandal

(ATTN: REVISES headline, lead; ADDS Roh's quotes)
SEOUL, April 22 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors sent former President Roh Moo-hyun a
questionnaire on Wednesday about a bribery scandal involving his family and close
aides in a move ahead of summoning him, a senior prosecution official said.
"As a courtesy to the former president and to shorten the time for the actual
interrogation, we decided to deliver a written questionnaire on key disputed
areas of the investigation," said Hong Man-pyo, head of the Supreme Prosecutors'
Office's investigation planning division.
The prosecution will set the summons date for Roh after receiving his response,
preferably by the weekend, Hong said.
An e-mail document of the seven-page questionnaire was sent to Roh through Moon
Jae-in, a confidant and a former chief of staff to Roh, he said. A hard copy was
also sent for hand delivery, also through Moon at Roh's residence in his hometown
of Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province.
Roh has confessed through his Web site that his wife took money from Park
Yeon-cha, head of the Taekwang Industry shoe manufacturer, during his five-year
presidential term that ended in February 2008. Park has already been arrested and
charged with offering bribes worth billions of won to key officials who served in
the Roh administration.
On Wednesday, Roh wrote on his Web site, "I have found myself bogged down in a
deep mire that does not allow me to get out."
Roh indicated he will cooperate with the prosecution's investigation, saying, "I
have lost my moral cause ... and there is only one thing left, which is a legal
procedure." He also declared the closure of the Web site that has acted as his
main communication channel with the prosecution and the public.
Investigators allege Roh's wife, Kwon Yang-sook, and an in-law of the family
accepted at least US$6 million from Park between 2006-2008. They suspect Roh was
the intended recipient of the money.
"We have many questions to ask him. The questions (in the document) were sorted
to fit into how we will proceed with the investigation," Hong said.
The prosecution did not give a specific time frame on when they plan to summon
Roh, but observers say it may be in May, after the April 29 by-elections, to
steer the investigation away from becoming a political issue.
On Tuesday, Jung Sang-moon, a former presidential aide for Roh, was arrested on
charges of embezzling 1.25 billion won from funds from the presidential office
and depositing it in several alias accounts.
Prosecutors are investigating whether Jung embezzled the money to create slush
funds for Roh's personal use and if Roh was involved in the case. Jung denies Roh
was aware of the money.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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