Prosecutors on Wednesday raided places related to Kim Man-bae, a key figure behind the scandal-ridden Daejang-dong development scandal, over allegations of his false media interview carried out to influence last year's presidential election.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office sent prosecutors and investigators to three places, including Kim's house and office, to seize materials and evidence in connection with his controversial interview with Shin Hak-lim, a journalist affiliated with online news outlet Newstapa, conducted on Sept. 15, 2021.
Kim, a journalist-turned-property developer, has been imprisoned to stand trial for his role in the development project pushed in the mid-2010s by opposition leader Lee Jae-myung as the mayor of Seongnam, to which Daejang-dong belongs.
In the dialogue with Shin, Kim made remarks to the effect that Yoon Suk Yeol, then opposition party presidential candidate, was behind the Daejang-dong scandal and the interview was reported by Newstapa on March 6, 2022, just three days before the presidential election, triggering a heated political controversy.
Kim is also suspected of paying 165 million won (US$123,500) to Shin in return for the interview.
Prosecutors already raided Shin's home and office last Friday and have asked him to appear at the prosecution Wednesday for questioning about the fake interview case.
Meanwhile, Kim is expected to be released from custody at midnight Wednesday as a Seoul court has turned down an additional arrest warrant request for him over embezzlement and other charges.
His warrant, issued on charges of concealing criminal proceeds from the real estate development project in March, expires Thursday.
Source: Yonhap News Agency