Court mulls arrest warrant for ex-president's brother on alleged bribery

SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Yonhap) -- A court was to decide whether to issue an arrest warrant for the elder brother of former President Roh Moo-hyun later Thursday, a watershed for the ongoing investigation into influence-peddling allegations against him.

Roh Gun-pyeong, 66, is suspected of influencing the state-run National
Agricultural Cooperative Federation, or Nonghyup, to take over an ailing
securities firm and accepting compensation while his brother was in office in
2006.
Prosecutors have presented no physical evidence yet but said they had sufficient
circumstantial evidence and testimony to prove the bribery allegations against
him.
"It seems to us that common sense dictates Mr. Roh should be considered as a
comprehensive accomplice," Choi Jai-kyeong, spokesman for the Supreme
Prosecutors' Office, said after prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for the
elder Roh.
The Seoul Central District Court is scheduled to start inquiring Roh at 10:30
a.m. to decide whether to allow his arrest.
Roh has denied the bribery allegations.
"I feel deeply sorry to the people for having to receive the examination for
arrest," he told Hankyoreh, a local daily, on Wednesday. "But having committed
no wrongdoing, I will squarely deal with it."
The probe is reminiscent of similar corruption scandals involving the relatives
of former heads of state. For former President Roh Moo-hyun, his brother's
scandal was a sharp blow to his legacy of political reform to end bribery.
Investigators allege Roh Gun-pyeong conspired with lobbyists for the takeover and
shared 3 billion won (US$2 million) in lobbying funds with them.
Strapped for cash, Sejong Securities wanted to be taken over by Nonghyup, a giant
conglomerate that has a number of agricultural and financial affiliates under its
wing, in 2005.
The security firm's parent company, Sejong Capital, allegedly gave the 3 billion
won to lobbyists who were acquainted with Roh. They used 1.8 billion won to buy
business space and video game equipment in a building near Roh's rural home,
Bonghwa village in South Gyeongsang Province, according to investigators.
Prosecutors suspect that the video game arcade and its proceeds worth 300 million
won might have been intended as compensation for Roh.
The allegations, if proven, could land him a jail sentence of up to five years or
a fine of 50 million won.
Roh has said he had only made a simple phone call to the chief of Nonghyup and
his long-time acquaintance, Chung Dae-kun, to introduce the securities firm and
that no influence-peddling took place.
Nonghyup bought Sejong Securities for 110 billion won in July 2006, about half a
year after Roh called its chief. Chung is currently serving a jail term from
another bribery case.
Prosecutors note this is not the first time Roh has gone to court. In 2004, he
was convicted of accepting 30 million won in bribes from the head of Daewoo
Engineering and Construction and received a suspended jail term.
The Daewoo E&C chief, Nam Sang-kook, committed suicide by jumping into the Han
River after then President Roh publicly shamed him during a public conference
broadcast nationwide.
The Rohs now live in their rural hometown in Bonghwa village. The former
president retired there in February.