The Public Prosecution Service, which is currently investigating allegations that the family of former President Roh Tae-woo hid slush funds, has booked his son, Roh Jae-heon, Korea's ambassador to China, as a suspect.
According to legal sources on the 10th, the Seoul Central Public Prosecution Service recently booked Ambassador Roh on charges including violating the Act on Regulation and Punishment of Criminal Proceeds Concealment and is conducting an investigation. The prosecution is said to plan to summon Roh for questioning within this year.
Prosecutors are examining whether part of former President Roh Tae-woo's slush funds may have flowed into the East Asia Cultural Foundation and the Roh Tae-woo Center, where Ambassador Roh serves as chair.
The allegations surfaced during the divorce proceedings of SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Roh Soh-yeong, director of Art Center Nabi, after the existence of funds suspected to be former President Roh's slush money became known.
In the appeals trial of the divorce case, Roh's side argued that the former president's family contributed to SK Group's growth and submitted as evidence two memos written more than 20 years ago by Kim Ok-suk and six promissory notes worth 5 billion won each issued by Sunkyung Construction. The memos were said to list fund details totaling 90.4 billion won.
Citing this, Roh Soh-yeong's side argued that 30 billion won of former President Roh's funds were delivered to in-law Chey Jong-hyon, the late SK Group chairman, and used in Sunkyung Group's management activities.
Earlier, Acting Minister of Justice (Vice Minister) Lee Jin-su said at The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee's comprehensive audit on the 26th of last month, regarding the slush fund allegations, "We received a criminal complaint," adding, "I don't know the specific status of the investigation, but the Criminal Proceeds Recovery Bureau is tracking where the money originated and is conducting an investigation."
