Published : Feb. 8, 2018 - 21:06
Prosecutors on Wednesday raided the headquarters of Samsung Electronics Co. and the house of a former senior company official as part of their probe into a corruption scandal linked to ex-President Lee Myung-bak.
Investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office confiscated computer hard discs and other materials from the company's main office in southern Seoul and from the home of Lee Hak-soo, a former group vice chairman.
Employees move about the Samsung building in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)
They are investigating the suspicion that the conglomerate paid fees for a local auto parts maker, DAS, run by Lee's relatives, in a U.S. lawsuit. DAS raised the suit against a businessman to recoup its investment in his U.S.-based investment advisory firm.
DAS is owned by a brother of Lee, but Lee has long been suspected of being its real owner. The company is under probe over suspicion that it has created a 12 billion won ($10.9 million) slush fund. The prosecution is also looking into whether Lee used his influence to help DAS recover money from the U.S. firm. Lee was president from 2008-2013.
Lee has denied all allegations regarding his link to the firm, calling the ongoing probe "political retribution." (Yonhap)