Former executive summoned in Samsung probe: reports
SEOUL (AFP) — South Korean special prosecutors investigating claims that the Samsung group operated a huge bribery slush fund summoned a former executive for questioning on Friday, media reports said.
Sung Young-Mok is the first person to be summoned by the team probing alleged corruption at the country's largest conglomerate, YTN television and Yonhap news agency said.
Sung was formerly with the finance team at the group secretariat and CEO of Samsung Securities. He is now chief executive of the luxury Hotel Shilla in Seoul.
The reports said he was being questioned about bank accounts opened under the names of group executives and allegedly used to hide millions of dollars in slush funds.
State prosecutors earlier reportedly discovered some 500 such accounts. They handed over their findings to the current investigation headed by an independent counsel, which was authorised by parliament.
Summonses were also sent to two other Samsung group officials, YTN said.
Since the special team began work last week, it has mounted an aggressive probe which included a search of the private home and office of group chairman Lee Kun-Hee and of the headquarters building.
Some 40 people including Lee have been banned from leaving the country.
The investigation is probing claims by Samsung's former chief lawyer Kim Yong-Chul that the group created a multi-million-dollar slush fund to bribe prosecutors, government officials and journalists.
Kim has claimed he had taken part in creating the fund totalling over seven trillion won (7.5 billion dollars).
Samsung, which wields enormous influence, has denied the bribery claims.
Its total assets are valued at 280.8 billion dollars and exports were worth 66.3 billion dollars last year, more than 20 percent of the nation's total.
