The Marine Corps special counsel on Oct. 10 summoned Lee Jong-ho, former head of Black Pearl Invest, as the first reference witness to investigate the alleged "influence-peddling to save" former 1st Marine Division Commander Lim Sung-geun. Lee is known to be a member of the "Stylish Marines" group chat, suspected to be the channel through which the lobbying to save the former division commander took place.
That day, Lee arrived at the special counsel's office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, at about 9:14 a.m. in a Ministry of Justice transport vehicle. On Aug. 8, Lee was indicted and detained by the Kim Keon-hee special counsel on charges of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act, and is currently held at the Seoul Detention Center.
Lee, wearing a navy suit and a mask, got out of the transport vehicle in restraints along with three correctional officers.
Asked by reporters, "Since when have you known Commander Lim Sung-geun?", "Have you ever brought up former Commander Lim to First Lady Kim Keon-hee?", and "Have you ever asked the first lady to save former Commander Lim?", he entered the interview room without answering.
The special counsel is expected to ask Lee, a reference witness in the alleged influence-peddling to save, how he came to know former Commander Lim, the circumstances under which the Stylish Marines group chat was formed, and the conversations he had with members of the chat after the death of the marine Chae.
The "influence-peddling to save" allegation is that participants in the "Stylish Marines" group chat, including Lee, a key figure in the Deutsch Motors stock-rigging case, lobbied to save former Commander Lim.
The special counsel suspects that Lee, known to have managed First Lady Kim Keon-hee's account in the Deutsch Motors stock-rigging case, may have used his ties with the first lady to ask for help to save former Commander Lim.