Ex-Premier Han faces indictment this week


Han Myeong-sook

By Bae Ji-sook

Staff reporter

The prosecution plans to indict former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook as early as this week for allegedly having received illegal political funds from a businessman in early 2007.

The decision came after Han refused to appear before prosecutors for questioning, and the latter assumed that any further requests would be of no use.

According to officials at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Han again refused a summons Sunday, following one earlier last week.

Instead, she began a sit-in protest against what she calls a politically-biased investigation at the main opposition Democratic Party headquarters in Seoul with her colleagues.

"I will continue to fight against the politically-motivated investigation," Han said. "I'm innocent. I cannot accept the inquest and will not reply to the prosecution."

Han is suspected of accepting 900 million won ($750,000) in illegal political funds in March 2007 from Han Man-ho, the president of now-defunct Hansin Construction in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The businessman is now serving time for embezzlement and other irregularities after his business failed.

Han Man-ho claimed that he had offered the bribe to Han Myeong-sook on several separate occasions since 2007 to seek favors in winning state-funded construction projects. The prosecutors suspect that she used the money to fund her campaign office in Goyang after she resigned from the premier position. The former prime minister has denied the allegations.

Last week, a close aide to the ex-premier admitted to separately receiving 300 million won in political funds from the jailed businessman.

The source identified as Kim said she had returned 200 million won to the builder while keeping the rest. She stressed that the former prime minister was not aware of this

After the repeated refusal to appear for questioning, prosecutors have decided to indict Han but are still divided over whether to request an arrest warrant or not. It is expected they will prosecute her without physical detention.

In April, a local court found her not guilty on a separate bribery charge.