By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter

Samsung Group provided an additional 17 billion won in illegal political funds to the major opposition Grand National Party (GNP) to support its 2002 presidential election campaign, prosecutors said on Thursday.

The additional money brings the total amount of illicit funds given by the conglomerate to the party to 32.2 billion won.

The money appears to have been delivered in bonds, sources said, adding that a broad investigation is underway to trace the bonds.

Regarding this, Kim In-ju, a Samsung executive, has been banned from traveling abroad. Prosecutors didn’t give details, but sources said Kim, the president of an office handling key finance matters for the nation’s largest conglomerate, was directly involved in the delivery of the bonds. Samsung’s vice chairman Lee Hak-soo, now traveling overseas on business, will also be summoned as soon as he returns home, prosecutors said.

The prosecutor leading the probe, Ahn Dai-hui, said the prosecution has evidence that Samsung offered additional funds to the opposition party.

``We had obtained such statement during recent questioning on private lenders involved in the laundering of the bonds,’’ Ahn said.

Previously, the prosecution said the GNP took 15.2 billion won from Samsung, 15 billion won each from LG and SK, and 10 billion won from Hyundai Motor.

The fresh allegations come as the prosecution is poised to take legal action against executives of top conglomerates that made illegal campaign donations to political parties in 2002.

GNP lawmakers Choi Don-woong and Kim Young-iel have been arrested, while several other GNP officials are under investigation for playing roles in the illegal fundraising.

The prosecution’s allegations could deal a severe blow to the GNP, which has made efforts to clean up its tarnished image. It claims the prosecution investigation into the campaign funds spent in 2002 is politically motivated.

In an apparent bid to take the upper hand ahead of the April 15 general elections, opposition parties have summoned leaders of the prosecution investigation for a parliamentary hearing.

So far, prosecutors have found Samsung, LG, Hyundai Motor, SK, Lotte, Hanjin, Kumho, Hanwha and several other business groups all made illegal donations. Some owners and key executives are expected to be subject to questioning soon.

jj@koreatimes.co.kr