Attached His Own Photo to Employee's Mother's Passport to Forge Identity
Used Forged Passport to Flee Abroad During Investigation
A former executive of the Federation of Artistic and Cultural Organizations of Korea (Korean Federation of Arts and Culture Organizations, or KFAA), who had been under investigation for various corruption charges, has been indicted and detained after fleeing abroad for 10 years.
On May 21, the Third Anti-Corruption Investigation Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (headed by Chief Prosecutor Lee Seunghak) announced that it had indicted and detained Yoon, a former general affairs director of the KFAA, on charges of breach of trust under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, bribery in breach of trust, and violation of the Passport Act.
In April 2011, Yoon is accused of conspiring with former KFAA president Lee to participate in a consortium for a TV home shopping business dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises. He is alleged to have sold 200,000 shares allocated by Home & Shopping, the selected operator, to a construction contractor named Moon for 1.05 billion won, which was significantly below the market value (approximately 5 billion won). Prosecutors considered the resulting loss of about 4 billion won as damages to the KFAA. Yoon was found to have received 960 million won in kickbacks from Moon in return.
Yoon is also accused of receiving a request from Kim, an operator of a service company, in April 2012 to transfer the lease rights of the Korea Artists Center, owned by the KFAA, and accepting 100 million won in July of the following year. The KFAA is a non-profit organization established in 1962 by artists and associations from various artistic fields.
Prosecutors stated that Yoon also received 70.5 million won after being asked to help Kim’s company be selected as the building management service provider for the Korea Artists Center, and an additional 20 million won under the pretext of allowing exclusive participation in a flower delivery business promoted by the KFAA.
When the prosecution began its investigation, Yoon fled abroad in November 2015.
It was found that Yoon used a passport issued under the name of the mother of an employee from his beauty-related business, attaching his own photo to the passport and using it for his escape.
After 10 years on the run, Yoon was apprehended by prosecutors at the airport on May 4, when he attempted to return to Korea from Myanmar during a holiday period. Lee, Yoon’s accomplice, was not prosecuted due to his death.
The prosecution stated, "We will do our utmost to track down those who flee abroad to evade criminal punishment and ensure the law is enforced without exception."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
