By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter

The prosecution on Monday brought in former National Tax Service head Sohn Young-rae for questioning over allegations that he pushed his subordinates to help Sun & Moon Group get an unlawful tax deduction after being lobbied by the group’s executives last year.

``I will tell everything during questioning,’’ Sohn told reporters as he arrived at the Seoul District Prosecutor’s Office for questioning. He didn’t make further comment.

Sohn allegedly called a tax official last year and asked him to give leniency to Sun & Moon, which was under investigation for tax evasion. After the call, the amount of penalties levied on the group was reduced from 18 billion won to 2.3 billion, according to prosecutors.

Sun & Moon chairman Moon Byung-wook allegedly met Sohn with the help of a Millennium Democratic Party lawmaker and a senior police officer working as a liaison at Chong Wa Dae, prosecution sources said, without disclosing their names. Moon was jailed last week for allegedly making illegal donations to political parties last year.

Sohn reportedly denied meeting Moon or other Sun & Moon officials, claiming he never ordered to give benefits to the group.

Meanwhile, the prosecution said it was looking into allegations that former Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) advisor Kwon Roh-kap accepted funds from the state intelligence service and the presidential office in 2000.

It is yet not clear how much Kwon took from National Intelligence Service and Chong Wa Dae, but some estimate the amount may reach 100 million won.

Prosecutors suspect the money might have been used to support then-ruling MDP’s campaign during the general elections in April 2000.

Kwon, who is facing trial for taking $25 million from Hyundai Group in 2000, is suspected of having collected tens of billions of won in illegal political funds and distributed the money among then MDP lawmakers ahead of the general elections.

Investigators said the 100 million won was delivered in checks, adding that they were discovered while tracing financial records of the money he received from Hyundai.


jj@koreatimes.co.kr