South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Hong Joon-pyo’s stellar legal and political career is facing uncertainty as he faces a prosecutorial summons Friday as a key suspect in a burgeoning graft scandal.
The prosecution said Wednesday that it would summon Hong on Friday morning at 10 a.m. to question him over allegations that he received 100 million won ($93,000) from late Keangnam chairman Sung Woan-jong in 2011. Hong is the the first of the eight political heavyweights involved in the high-profile bribery scandal to be questioned by the prosecution.
Hong will also sit face-to-face with his junior prosecutors, a drastic turn of events for the former star prosecutor who gained respect and fame after investigating a number of crime rings and brought corrupt high-profile figures to court in the 1980s-1990s.
The prosecution decided to call in Hong after the authorities obtained testimony from Yoon Seong-mo, the former vice president of Keangnam Enterprises, who claimed that he was the one who carried the political funds to the former four-term lawmaker four years ago. Hong was then running for chairman of the Grand National Party, the precursor to the ruling Saenuri Party.
South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Hong Joon-pyo. (Yonhap)
But almost every day, the sharp-tongued governor has intensely resisted authorities’ attempt to press him over the graft allegation. He denied his involvement in the alleged bribery and counterattacked the prosecution, claiming that the officers may have controlled Yoon and fixed his testimony. During the four rounds of interrogations, Yoon testified that he delivered the money to Hong on Sung’s request. Yoon said the then-GNP lawmaker was with him when he gave the money to Hong’s aides, according to the prosecution.
The governor tried to water down the claim, raising fresh speculation that Yoon has been making inconsistent testimonies. Hong claimed Yoon’s memory was not accurate because he delivered Sung’s money to many politicians.
The bribery allegation escalated after Sung was found dead in an apparent suicide last month with a memo in his pocket that listed the names of eight politicians and the amount of money he claimed to have delivered to them. Hong’s name was listed next to the amount of 100 million won.
Hong also argued that the prosecution would not be able to take Sung’s memo or voice recordings as key evidence in court as they are not credible.
The prosecution appears confident about the case as authorities have also interrogated Hong’s aide to cross-check Yoon’s testimony. For the prosecution, the outcome of summoning Hong is crucial as they are also tasked to reveal the truth behind the scandal that involves President Park Geun-hye’s close confidants including former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo and incumbent Chief of Staff Lee Byung-kee.
But the question remains on how the prosecution could indict Hong on bribery charges with a lack of concrete evidence to prove him guilty. Pundits said it would not be easy to bring the ex-prosecutor to court as he knows the process well.
Hong rose to social stardom as he probed a slot machine gambling case and the politicians behind the illegal underground business in 1993. He also investigated high-profile cases such as the labor-management dispute of Hyundai Heavy Industries in 1987 and organized crime in the early 1990s.
He earned his first parliamentary seat in 1996 and served in various high-level posts in the GNP including party chairman, floor leader and Supreme Council member. He was elected as governor in a by-election in December 2012 and was reelected to the post last year.
By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)