Roh heads for Seoul to face questioning in bribery scandal

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with remarks from Roh)
By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, April 30 (Yonhap) -- Former President Roh Moo-hyun, engulfed in an
escalating corruption scandal, said Thursday he felt deeply "ashamed and sorry"
for disappointing the nation, as he left his home in a remote village in Gimhae,
near Busan, to face prosecutors' questioning over the allegations of his bribery
in Seoul.
"I am deeply ashamed before my fellow citizens. I am sorry to have disappointed
you. I'll return safely (after prosecution questioning)," the former president
said shortly before boarding a bus, along with his aides and lawyers, in Bongha
village, South Gyeongsang Province, some 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
The 62-year-old Roh was expected to arrive in Seoul at around 1 p.m., according
to aides and police officials.
The prosecution had earlier summoned him to appear at the Supreme Prosecutors'
Office in southern Seoul before 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
Roh is the nation's third former president to be summoned by the prosecution
after Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, who were both convicted in 1995 of receiving
bribes and inciting a mutiny. Both were sentenced to death but were pardoned in
1997 by then President Kim Young-sam.
No formal charges have been leveled against Roh, who concluded his term in
February last year, but investigators believe he may have been involved in a
bribery scandal involving US$5 million allegedly paid by a local businessman to
his son, Gun-ho, and his brother's son-in-law, Yeon Cheol-ho.
Both the son and Yeon have been summoned by prosecutors several times on
suspicion of receiving money from Park Yeon-cha, a businessman and long-time
supporter of the former president. Park, chairman of shoemaker Taekwang Industry,
was arrested late last year for graft and tax evasion.
The two claimed the money was a legitimate investment made by Park in a company
owned and run by Yeon, but the prosecution believes the money was meant to reach
the former president.
Roh denied the allegations in a written statement submitted to the prosecution
Saturday.
In a related case involving his wife, Kwon Yang-sook, Roh admitted that his wife
had accepted a huge sum from Park to pay off a personal debt, with his aides and
investigators alleging at least $1 million was handed over to Kwon.
The former president could face indictment on a broad range of bribery charges if
found to have had prior knowledge about the money given to his family members,
according to prosecution officials.
Roh will also be questioned over a separate corruption scandal involving his
former aide Jung Sang-moon, who was arrested last week for allegedly embezzling
some 1.25 billion won from the coffers of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae
and taking 300 million won in bribes from Park, both during Roh's term.
Investigators are trying to find out whether the money, kept in bank accounts
held under various names, was meant for Roh's use or if the accounts were set up
at Roh's request.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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