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피터빈트

Lee’s death will not affect Lotte probe: prosecution

By Shin Ji-hye

Published : Aug. 28, 2016 - 20:07

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The prosecution said Sunday the death of Lotte Group’s vice chairman would not affect the ongoing investigation on the retail giant.

Lee In-won, group Chairman Shin Dong-bin’s longtime and closest aide, was found dead in an apparent suicide Friday morning. He was scheduled to be questioned by prosecutors on the day as part of the ongoing probe into Lotte. The group is suspected of evading taxes amounting to 600 billion won ($533 million) and creating slush funds of some 50 billion won.

The death of the aide, who claimed in his suicide note that the group has no slush fund, could hamper the investigation of the group, industry watchers said. 

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin sheds tears during his tribute to the group`s No. 2 man Lee In-won, who took his own life on Friday, at Hyundai Asan Medical Center in southeastern Seoul on Saturday. (Yonhap) Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin sheds tears during his tribute to the group`s No. 2 man Lee In-won, who took his own life on Friday, at Hyundai Asan Medical Center in southeastern Seoul on Saturday. (Yonhap)

Prosecutors, however, showed strong willingness to resume the investigation once the funeral is over.

“It is sad that Lee committed suicide, but that should not significantly influence the probe,” a prosecution official said, adding, “There will be no change in the range and direction made based on we have investigated so far.”

A day earlier, police concluded that Lee died as an act of suicide based on an investigation, saying, “There was nothing unusual about his whereabouts and telephone records.”

Shin Dong-bin paid his respect to Lee on Saturday. The chairman in a dark blue suit and black necktie arrived at the funeral in the morning with bloodshot eyes even before conveying his condolences.

When asked by reporters about his feelings, Shin choked and was unable to unable to answer.

“There is nothing we can say about his private feelings and we have nothing to officially announce about the funeral,” a Lotte official said.

Lotte Group founder Shin Kyuk-ho and his eldest son Shin Dong-joo have reportedly not visited the mortuary.

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)

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