LEAD) Court issues arrest warrant for ex-president's brother accused of bribery

(ATTN: UPDATES story from 3rd para with judge quote, detail)
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Yonhap) -- The prosecution detained the elder brother of former
President Roh Moo-hyun on Thursday after a court issued a warrant for his arrest,
a decision certain to expand prosecutors' investigation into allegations that he
took bribes for a business favor in 2006.
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 as much as 3 billion won (US$2 million) in bribes
while his brother was in office.
"Considering evidence and inquiry results presented to the court, there are
sufficient grounds to allege the suspect committed the crime, and given the
gravity of the issue, there is a risk he may destroy the evidence or flee," Judge
Kim Yong-sang of the Seoul Central District Court said, granting the warrant to
prosecutors.
Prosecutors have presented no physical evidence yet, but said they had sufficient
circumstantial evidence to prove the bribery allegations. After a 12-hour
inquiry, Choi Jai-kyeong, spokesman for the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, said
judging by "common sense," suspicions about Roh's crime hold ground.
Roh has denied the bribery allegations.
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 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, handed over 3 billion won to
lobbyists who used their networks with Roh. The lobbyists 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.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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