‘정운호 게이트’에서 불거진 롯데면세점 입점 로비 의혹을 수사 중인 검찰이 조만간 신영자 롯데장학재단 이사장(74)을 소환해 조사한다.
서울중앙지검 방위사업수사부(부장검사 박찬호)는 27일 “사건 관련자들에게서 신 이사장의 혐의를 입증할 만한 진술을 확보했다”며 “금명간 신 이사장을 소환해 조사할 방침”이라고 밝혔다.
(Yonhap)
검찰은 최근 이원준 롯데쇼핑 대표(60), 이모 BNF통상 대표를 조사하는 과정에서 “신 이사장의 지시로 네이처리퍼블릭을 면세점에 들어오도록 했고 매장 위치도 그쪽에 유리하게 변경해줬다”는 진술을 확보했다. BNF통상은 신 이사장이 아들의 이름을 빌려 사실상 직접 운영한 회사로 알려졌다.
검찰은 롯데면세점이 검찰 수사를 피하기 위해 핵심 증거를 인멸하는 데 신 이사장의 지시가 있던 것은 아닌지 의심하고 있다.
검찰은 이와 별개로 롯데그룹 총수일가의 비리를 수사 중인 만큼 신 이사장을 상대로 제기된 의혹 전반을 확인할 방침이다.
[관련 영문 기사 보기]
Prosecution to summon Lotte founder’s daughter
Prosecutors will summon Shin Young-ja, the eldest daughter of Lotte founder Shin Kyuk-ho soon to question her over allegations that she received kickbacks in exchange for a business favor to a local cosmetics company.
Investigators at Seoul Central Prosecutors‘ Office said Monday that they had secured testimonies to prove that she ordered Lotte officials to offer floor space for Nature Republic at the retail giant’s duty-free stores.
She also ordered them to give the cosmetics company a preferential spot, the prosecution said adding that the testimonies have been secured by questioning Lee Won-joon, president of Lotte Shopping and a head of BNF Trading surnamed Lee. BNF is thought to have been established by borrowing Shin Young-ja‘s son’s name. The company was directly managed by Shin Young-ja.
As a director of Hotel Lotte, Shin Young-ja supervised the hotel‘s entire duty-free operation, and is accused of receiving bribes worth 1 billion won from Chung Woon-ho, former president of Nature Republic for letting the cosmetic company in.
The prosecution believes that the money was transferred to Shin Young-ja through BNF. Investigators are also looking into her son‘s accounts to see whether he received billions of won in pay checks from BNF even though he didn’t work for the company.
By Cho Chung-un(
christory@heraldcorp.com)