Police said Tuesday that they plan to summon a lawmaker of the ruling Saenuri Party for questioning over allegations his aide received money from businessmen for illegal purposes.
Police said they will work out the timing and other details of the planned investigation as Rep. Hong Moon-pyo is currently in London in his capacity as head of the Korea Hockey Association.
Hong’s aide is accused of accepting up to 40 million won ($35,000) in 2008 from the head of a small agricultural newspaper, who in turn received about 80 million won from seed importers and other businessmen wanting to lobby the agriculture ministry and the Korea Rural Community Corporation.
Hong, who served as president of the Korea Rural Community Corp. at that time, could face bribery charges if he received the money in return for favoring the businessmen, the police said.
Hong has said he “has nothing to do with” the bribery allegations, claiming that the detained head of the newspaper received the money from the businessmen before returning it one-and-half months later. (Yonhap News)