The second special investigation team, led by Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young, is probing allegations of lobbying related to Im Seong-geun, the former commander of the 1st Marine Division.
The special prosecutors announced on June 30 that they plan to question Lee Jong-ho, the former CEO of Black Pearl Investment, as a witness regarding the lobbying allegations involving Im.
Investigators are expected to explore potential involvement of Kim Geon-hee, the spouse of President Yoon Suk Yeol, or the presidential office in the lobbying efforts to support Im.
Lee has been identified as a key figure in the lobbying scandal related to the fallen Marine incident. He is known to have mentioned Im, who was contemplating resigning, to a lawyer, stating he would “talk to a VIP.”
Additionally, Lee is facing charges for allegedly deceiving an individual identified as Mr. Lee, a key suspect in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case, into believing he could secure a suspended sentence instead of prison time. Lee reportedly received approximately 80 million won from Mr. Lee over 25 transactions for this promise, leading to his indictment last August.
In April of this year, the Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 3, presided over by Judge Lee Seung-han, sentenced Lee to one year and two months in prison for his offenses.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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