[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] Choi Nam-yong, former Head of Fund Management at the Korea Radio Promotion Association, who was involved in the Optimus Fund scandal, did not appear at the National Assembly audit session.
According to the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee of the National Assembly on the 22nd, Choi was selected as a witness for the comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Science and ICT and its affiliated organizations but submitted a 'non-attendance statement' the day before and did not attend.
In the statement, Choi said, "As I am currently under investigation by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office regarding the Optimus fund investment case, I regret that I am unable to attend and ask for your understanding."
The Radio Promotion Association invested 67 billion KRW in Optimus from June 2017 to March 2018 but withdrew the investment after violations of regulations were revealed. It has been confirmed that Choi maintained a close relationship with the Optimus management, even traveling overseas with their families at the time the investment began, raising suspicions of collusion.
Regarding Choi’s absence, Park Sung-joong, the People Power Party’s secretary on the Science and ICT Committee, criticized, "A witness still employed at an affiliated organization with a salary in the hundreds of millions KRW is openly ignoring the National Assembly."
He pointed out, "Choi Nam-yong is the main culprit of the Optimus scandal that caused damage to about 1,000 people and 500 billion KRW. If he had not made the investment decision, this situation would not have occurred today. The public trusted the Radio Promotion Association’s investment and raised over 1 trillion KRW."
He continued, "To uncover the truth about the investment, the person who made the initial decision must come forward. The suspicious non-attendance statement submitted the day before is unacceptable. Officially, he has not been summoned by the prosecution, yet he claims to be under investigation and refuses to appear. He should be made to appear, even in the afternoon."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
