[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] The chairman of a comprehensive construction company in Busan who attempted to offer money to a reporter covering him in order to suppress an article, and a former Busan city official who was employed by the company during the post-retirement employment restriction period, have been referred to the prosecution.
The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency's Anti-Corruption Economic Crime Investigation Unit announced on the 29th that they referred the construction company chairman to the prosecution on charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, and the former Busan city director on charges of violating the Public Officials Ethics Act.
Chairman A is accused of offering 30 million won to a reporter last December, who was investigating allegations that his son, a certain National Assembly member, had illegally transferred assets, and asking the reporter to overlook the investigation.
Mr. B is suspected of violating the three-year employment restriction after retirement from public office by working at the construction company owned by Chairman A. It is also known that Mr. B participated in the environmental impact assessment of a housing development project promoted by the construction company in 2015.
The police also requested cooperation from the Fair Trade Commission to investigate allegations that Chairman A illegally transferred assets to a construction company operated by his son through preferential awarding and subcontracting of contracts and sales projects.
He is suspected of violating the Fair Trade Act by awarding apartment construction contracts through special relationships and violating the Tax Offense Punishment Act by failing to properly pay inheritance and gift taxes through subcontracting.
Regarding Lee Joo-hwan, a member of the People Power Party and National Assembly member for Busan Yeonje District, who was under investigation for violating the Public Official Election Act by deliberately omitting approximately 1.06 billion won worth of land and buildings during candidate asset reporting and making false statements, the case was dismissed due to 'lack of prosecutorial jurisdiction.'
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