A key aide of South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Hong Joon-pyo will be summoned for questioning this week over allegations of bribery involving the high-profile politician, the prosecution said Monday.
Hong is suspected of taking 100 million won (US$93,000) from late businessman Sung Wan-jong in 2011 through one of Hong’s close aides when he ran for ruling party chief.
Before hanging himself last month, Sung claimed in a memo that he gave hundreds of millions of won to eight politicians, including former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo, as well as several of President Park Geun-hye’s close aides.
Lee stepped down late last week amid allegations he took 30 million won from Sung while running for a parliamentary by-election in 2013.
Prosecutors said they have summoned a man surnamed Nah, who served as Hong’s aide in 2011, to appear for interrogation slated for Tuesday afternoon.
Following the interrogations of Nah and other key aides to Hong, the prosecution plans to summon the four-term lawmaker affiliated with the ruling Saenuri Party late this week, prosecution sources said.
The sources said they also plan to call in the former prime minister for questioning over the bribery allegation, possibly within the next week.
(Yonhap)
