SEOUL– Prosecutors on Wednesday indicted Lee Jung-geun, a former deputy secretary general of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), on charges that she pocketed nearly 1 billion won (US$701,016) in bribes from a businessman in return for business favors between 2019-2021.
The 59-year-old allegedly took 940 million won from the businessperson, surnamed Park, between December 2019 and January last year in exchange for promises to lobby officials of the government and public institutions for business favors.
She allegedly promised to use her close relationships with ranking officials of the previous Moon Jae-in administration, including those in the presidential office, to help Park get state subsidies, a business license to produce masks, and government contracts.
Lee is also suspected of illegally receiving a total of 330 million won in political funds from the businessman in 2020 while parliamentary elections were under way.
The Seoul Central Prosecutors Office officially pressed bribery and political fund law violation charges against Lee and put her under prosecution custody.
Lee denied the charges, claiming she borrowed the money from Park.
She served on Moon’s election camp while he ran for president in 2017 and on the election camp of incumbent DP Chair Lee Jae-myung while he ran for president in March.
Source: Yonhap News Agency