Attempt to Secure Lobby-Related Funds and Accounting Records
On December 15, the police launched their first compulsory investigation into allegations that political figures received money and valuables from the Unification Church.
The special investigation team at the National Police Agency announced to the media that "from around 9 a.m. today, search and seizure warrants are being executed at 10 locations, including Cheon Jeong Gung of the Unification Church."
The targets of this search and seizure include not only the Unification Church headquarters, but also the residences of former Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Jeon Jae-soo, former Democratic Party lawmaker Lim Jongseong, and former United Future Party lawmaker Kim Gyuhwan, the parliamentary office of former Minister Jeon, Seoul Detention Center where former Unification Church World Headquarters Director Yoon Youngho is being held, and the office of the special prosecutor team investigating Kim Keonhee.
The police are expected to secure accounting records of the Unification Church to trace the flow of funds and search for money and valuables suspected to have been used for lobbying. In addition, an investigation is expected into the cash bundles worth about 28 billion won that were discovered in the personal safe of President Han Hakja during the search of Cheon Jeong Gung by the Kim Keonhee special prosecutor team in July.
Previously, on December 11, the special investigation team booked former Minister Jeon, former lawmaker Lim, and former lawmaker Kim as suspects and imposed travel bans. They are reportedly being investigated for violations of the Political Funds Act or for accepting bribes.
It has been reported that Unification Minister Chung Dongyoung and People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyungwon, who were named by former Director Yoon as politicians along with the three suspects to the special prosecutor team, were not specifically mentioned as having received money or valuables.
Former Director Yoon, who triggered the allegations of bribery, has also reportedly been booked as a suspect for the illegal provision of political funds or bribes.
However, on December 12, former Director Yoon appeared as a witness at the trial of People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Seongdong and effectively retracted his previous statements, saying, "Some of what is being circulated... is not at all what I intended," and "I have never testified in that manner."
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