By Byun Duk-kun
Staff Reporter

The prosecution on Friday summoned Ahn Hee-jung, President Roh Moo-hyun’s close confidant, on suspicions that he collected illicit campaign funds from the nation’s conglomerates before last year’s presidential election for the then-ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP).

Ahn’s summons came late in the afternoon after Lee Kwang-jae, former aide to President Roh, said he delivered 100 million won he had received from Sun & Moon Group to then-MDP official Ahn.

Ahn admitted to accepting 100 million won from Lee. ``It is true I have received 100 million won of Sun & Moon’s money from Lee Kwang-jae and delivered it to the MDP,’’ Ahn said. He added the illegal transfer was never reported to President Roh.

The prosecution said it will press charges against Ahn if his allegations of bribery are found to be true. Apart from the 100 million won he allegedly received from Lee, Ahn is also suspected of collecting additional funds from other businesses in the run-up to the presidential election last year.

The prosecution requested an arrest warrant for Lee on charges of embezzlement and perjury.

Lee admitted to receiving 100 million won from Sun & Moon Group Thursday and said he had delivered the money to the MDP before the presidential election.

The prosecution said the checks he received from Sun & Moon Group were deposited into his bank account after the election. The prosecution is trying to find out whether he had embezzled the money for his own use.

Lee is also suspected of perjury, because he had flatly denied the bribery allegations while testifying before the National Assembly in October.

Meanwhile, the prosecution also announced that Seo Jeong-woo, legal advisor to former presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang, has admitted to collecting more than 35 billion won (about $30 million) from conglomerates before last year’s election.

In addition to the 15 billion won Seo received from LG Group and 11.2 billion in bonds from Samsung, the Grand National Party (GNP) aide also admitted to taking 10 billion won from Hyundai Motor Co., according to prosecutors. Seo was arrested Monday.

The prosecution is still trying to find out where the money went and how it was used, as Seo claimed to have transferred all the funds to the GNP.

With the latest finding, the total amount of illegal funds allegedly raised by the GNP for the presidential election comes to more than 50 billion won. GNP lawmaker Choi Don-woong is suspected of receiving more than 14 billion won from SK Group and Samsung.

The prosecution said LG Group officials used a truck to load up 63 boxes containing 15 billion won and handed over the vehicle’s keys to Seo at a service area on the Kyongbu Highway.

They alleged the GNP campaigner used the same method to take 10 billion won from Hyundai Motor. Officials from Hyundai used two minivans to load up 5 billion won each and deliver the funds to Seo at the same highway service area, according to the prosecution.

benjamine@koreatimes.co.kr