Ex-president's brother denies allegations of taking bribes

SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Yonhap) -- An elder brother of former President Roh Moo-hyun denied accusations in his first court hearing Tuesday that he took 3 billion won (US$2.4 million) in bribes in exchange for arranging a business acquisition.

Roh Gun-pyeong, who is standing trial on graft charges, was arrested earlier this
month for allegedly peddling influence in the 2006 buyout of a failing securities
company by the state-run National Agricultural Cooperation Federation, commonly
called Nonghyup.
"I didn't orchestrate the takeover. I just asked Chung Dae-kun, then chief of
Nonghyup, to buy Sejong Securities," Roh said at the Seoul Central District Court
hearing.
He did, however, admit to phoning Chung to ask him to consider buying Sejong
Securities, for which he received 300 million won.
Prosecutors have been investigating why Nonghyup reversed its initial decision
not to purchase the insolvent Sejong Securities Co. They suspect personal
connections involving the elder Roh, Chung Dae-kun, and Sejong's chief Hong Ki-ok
influenced the purchase.
On Tuesday, the court decided to cross-examine Roh along with two other men
believed to have sought his intervention in the buyout. The men, reluctant to
face Roh in court, had initially asked that their trial be conducted separately.
Roh may be sentenced to a five-year jail term or fine of 50 million won if
convicted of bribery.
Apart from the latest scandal, the former president's brother also received a
suspended jail term for accepting 30 million won from a leading construction
company in 2004.
brk@yna.co.kr