The prosecution, upon reinvestigating the so-called 'Lime Incident' which caused a redemption suspension worth approximately 1.6 trillion won, uncovered an additional financial corruption amounting to 50 billion won. The prosecution has additionally indicted Lee Jong-pil, former Vice President of Lime Asset Management, who is currently serving a prison sentence, and has arrested and indicted two former executives of the Metropolitan Group who conspired with him.
On the 21st, the Financial Securities Crime Joint Investigation Division of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office arrested and indicted former Metropolitan Group executives A and B on the 19th for violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (fraud), who conspired with former Vice President Lee to use fund money for illegal casino acquisition. Former Lime Asset Management executive C was also indicted without detention on the same charges, and former Vice President Lee was additionally indicted for witness tampering. Lee has been sentenced to 20 years in prison related to the Lime Incident and is currently incarcerated.
According to the prosecution, during the reinvestigation, it was revealed that former Vice President Lee and Kim Young-hong, former Chairman of the Metropolitan Group who is currently on the run, personally embezzled 30 billion won of fund money to acquire the Isla Casino in the Philippines, an illegal gambling establishment.
It was also found that the arrested A and B embezzled 21 billion won by submitting false financial documents to use fund money for personal business.
Previously, during the trial of former Vice President Lee on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (bribery, etc.) related to the Lime Incident, judicial obstruction acts such as perjury by A were revealed. At Lee's request, A committed perjury in court, resulting in acquittal and confirmation of not guilty on major charges against him.
The prosecution has been conducting a reinvestigation since reorganizing the Lime Incident investigation team last January. To restore the actual damages of the victims and confiscate criminal proceeds, the prosecution obtained preservation orders on some assets of the defendants and froze them, while continuing to track other assets. Former Chairman Kim fled overseas immediately after the Lime Incident and is currently subject to an Interpol red notice.
A representative of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office stated, "We have issued arrest warrants for the main perpetrators and their associates of the Lime Incident who fled abroad and requested Interpol to issue a warrant. We will do our best to ensure their swift repatriation to Korea."
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