hankyoreh

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, speaks during a meeting of the party’s supreme council on Jan. 16, at the National Assembly. (Kang Chang-kwang/The Hankyoreh)

Prosecutors have issued yet another summons for Lee Jae-myung, the head of the Democratic Party. Lee is being accused of providing preferential treatment to private companies in the Daejang neighborhood development case, among other charges.

After investigating Lee, prosecutors plan to decide whether to request an arrest warrant by adding the charge related to Lee soliciting support funds for Seongnam Football Club. Lee already had to appear before prosecutors on Tuesday in connection with the Seongnam FC allegations.

On Monday, the first and third anti-corruption divisions of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, headed by Eom Hee-jun and Kang Baek-sin respectively, requested Lee make an appearance at the prosecution on Jan. 27 or 30, after the Lunar New Year holiday, for questioning. Lee is being accused of malfeasance in office and for violating the Anti-Corruption Act.

The prosecutors are said to be currently coordinating a specific summons schedule with Lee’s lawyers.

Lee plans to first discuss with his party’s leadership and others and then decide whether to appear before prosecutors.

Previously, when Lee was questioned Tuesday by the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office in connection with the Seongnam FC case, he reportedly only gave scripted answers based on a written statement prepared in advance. Lee is expected to handle the prosecution's investigation into the Daejang neighborhood development case in a similar way.

Prosecutors suspect that while serving as mayor of Seongnam, Lee was involved in making unfair profits worth 400 billion won (US$323 million) by providing preferential treatment for private businesses involved in the development of the Daejang neighborhood. Among them, a company owned by Kim Man-bae, who was the final decision-maker in the project.

Lee's close aides, Jeong Jin-sang, former head of the political affairs coordination office at Lee’s secretariat, and Yoo Dong-gyu, former chief of planning for the Seongnam Development Corporation, are also believed to have been involved in the process of acquiring some of the profits allocated to Cheonhwa Dongin No. 1.

Besides this, prosecutors will also investigate the process of how internal information of Seongnam municipal government was leaked to private businesses during the 2013 Wirye New Town project.

According to the prosecution, they have already secured the necessary evidence to prove the charges against Lee.

“Since its formation in July of last year, the investigation team has secured sufficient witness testimony and material evidence through its reinvestigation,” an official from the prosecution said when meeting with reporters.

With Lee already being summoned for the Seongnam FC case, the possibility of an arrest warrant being issued is also being raised.

However, with the National Assembly currently in session, the prosecution would have to go through the National Assembly's approval process for issuing an arrest.

Since the National Assembly recently rejected the request for the arrest of Democratic Party lawmaker Noh Woong-rae, the motion for Lee's arrest is also likely to be rejected.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party characterized the summons of Lee as a “media play to insult Lee Jae-myung” and demanded an independent counsel investigation.

“The prosecution, who has thrown aside the 5 billion club that received money from the Daejang neighborhood [development companies] and say they don’t know about how Kim Man-bae’s sister purchased a house from the president’s father, are only harassing Lee Jae-myung,” Park Seong-jun, spokesperson for the main opposition party, said at a briefing on Monday.

“At least now, the National Assembly must allow for an independent counsel to reveal all the concrete facts related to the Daejang neighborhood development case,” Park added.

By Jeon Gwang-joon, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]