Prosecutors Search for 'Optimus Keyman' Jeong Young-je's Whereabouts

Fund Fraud and Lobbying Allegations Intertwined... Additional Lobbyists Also Under Review

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The prosecution investigating the Optimus Asset Management fund fraud is focusing on locating Jeong Young-je, the former CEO of Optimus Alternative Investments. Since he holds the key to revealing suspicions of lobbying involving political and governmental circles, the investigation team believes that a direct inquiry into the long-missing former CEO is inevitable.

According to the legal community on the 17th, the Economic Crime Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (led by Chief Prosecutor Joo Min-cheol) recently began efforts to locate Jeong with support from other departments such as the Criminal Division. They are also investigating the possibility that Jeong, who has cut off contact with the outside world since July, may have fled overseas.

Currently, the investigation team has secured the custody of all executives except former Optimus CEO Lee Hyuk-jin. Kim Jae-hyun, the current CEO of Optimus, along with Director Lee Dong-yeol, the second-largest shareholder, and Inside Director Yoon Seok-ho, have been indicted while in custody.

The issue lies with Jeong Young-je, the key lobbyist who connected the executives with the institutions that invested. Unlike the investigation into the executives, which faced criticism for slow responses, the investigation team regards Jeong as the 'key man' and is concentrating on locating him. The team believes Jeong is involved in both the fund fraud and lobbying suspicions. It is known that Jeong was involved in the process by which Optimus secured an investment of approximately 70 billion KRW from the Korea Communications Agency in 2017 and connected NH Investment & Securities, the distributor of Optimus funds.

He also served as the CEO of Golden Core, a real estate development company under Optimus, and promoted the Bonghyeon Logistics Complex project in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. This project appears in documents related to the controversial 'fund defect remediation.' The documents also include content stating that former Prosecutor General Chae Dong-wook met with Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung regarding the Bonghyeon Logistics Complex project.

The investigation team, having confirmed through inquiries into the executives already in custody and other lobbyists that Jeong was responsible for lobbying within the financial sector, plans to summon Jeong to verify both the lobbying and fund-related aspects. Meanwhile, the team is also pursuing the whereabouts of another lobbyist, Ki Mo. Ki, who disappeared after the prosecution requested an arrest warrant earlier this month, is also suspected of illegal lobbying to facilitate Optimus-related business deals with political and governmental figures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.