Prosecutors said Tuesday they have summoned the embattled former chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to appear for questioning later this week over allegations that he took bribes from a local construction firm.

Won Sei-hoon, who served as NIS chief under former President Lee Myung-bak until early this year, is suspected of accepting more than 100 million won (US$88,144) of cash in bribes from the head of a local construction firm in exchange for business favors.

Prosecutors said they asked Won to appear for questioning on Thursday.

The businessman, Hwang Bo-yeon, former chief of now-bankrupt Hwangbo Construction, has already been arrested on charges of embezzling about 2.3 billion won in company funds and fraudulently taking loans of about 4.3 billion won.

In a separate case, Won was indicted last month on charges of ordering an online smear campaign against opposition candidates to sway public opinion in favor of President Park Geun-hye, the then ruling party candidate, prior to the Dec. 19 presidential election. (Yonhap News)