The special counsel team led by Min Joong-ki, which is investigating several allegations related to Kim Keon-hee, indicted five people, including Cho Young-tak, CEO of IMS Mobility, who is implicated in the so-called "butler gate."
The special counsel team said on the 23rd that on the 22nd it detained and indicted CEO Cho on charges of breach of trust and embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Economic Crimes, occupational embezzlement, bribery for breach of trust, violation of the Act on External Audit of Stock Companies, and instructing the concealment of evidence.
Cho is accused of embezzling 3.5 billion won and committing 3.2 billion won in breach of trust by using part of the investment IMS Mobility received in 2023 to buy back the company's equity. He is also accused of paying 84 million won to a sitting reporter to write favorable articles about the company.
Min Kyung-min, CEO of private equity firm Oasis Equity Partners, which was involved in raising investment for IMS Mobility, was also indicted on charges of committing breach of trust worth about 3.2 billion won.
The special counsel team also indicted without detention Director Mo Jae-yong on charges of concealing evidence by attempting to remove PCs and other items just before the search and seizure of IMS Mobility, and a business newspaper reporter, identified only as A, on charges of accepting a bribe for breach of trust for receiving money from CEO Cho to write favorable articles. The wife of Kim Ye-seong, identified as the "butler" of Kim Keon-hee's family, a person surnamed Jeong, was also indicted on charges of occupational embezzlement worth about 470 million won.
"Butler gate" refers to allegations that IMS Mobility, a rental car company founded by Kim Ye-seong and in which he holds equity, improperly received a 18.4 billion won investment in 2023 through Oasis Equity Partners from Kakao Mobility, HS Hyosung, Shinhan Bank and others.
At first, the special counsel team suspected that IMS Mobility's investors provided funds as a form of insurance or in exchange for favors, considering the close relationship between Kim Ye-seong and Kim, and investigated the specific circumstances of the investment. However, it is known that no connection has been established so far.