Former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil speaks to reporters outside the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office on June 7. (Yonhap)
Prosecutors raided a consulting company in Seoul on Monday as part of an investigation into alleged illegal election funding involving Song Young-gil, a former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party.
The prosecution suspects that a think tank paid consulting fees to the company on behalf of Song's campaign during the party's leadership election in 2021.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office sent investigators in the morning to several locations, including the consulting company and a former CEO's residence.
An employee of the think tank, which is known to be Song's support organization outside the party, was also targeted in the search and seizure operation.
The raids came hours before the National Assembly is scheduled to vote on whether to give consent to the potential arrests of two Democratic Party lawmakers involved in a cash-for-vote scandal linked to the May 2021 party election.
Prosecutors had sought arrest warrants for Reps. Youn Kwan-suk and Lee Sung-man suspected of having distributed "cash envelopes" to Democratic Party members seeking their support for Song.
During the process of tracking the flow of funds, investigators reportedly uncovered circumstances indicating funds from the institute had been funneled into the consulting company.
Prosecutors suspect the think tank paid the consulting fees owed by Song's campaign to the company and then signed a false service contract to conceal the transaction.
The investigation team said it will summon the company's former CEO and others involved once the analysis of the seized items is completed. (Yonhap)
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