Conflicting Statements... Kim Man-bae May Be Recalled as Early as This Week

The prosecution is reportedly planning to summon Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu, for questioning again as early as this week, according to reports on the 12th. This decision was made because the various pieces of evidence obtained and Kim's statements have diverged, making a re-summons inevitable.

The dedicated investigation team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (led by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-hoon) is currently examining contradictions between the evidence secured so far?including the recorded statements submitted by accountant Jeong Young-hak, the owner of Cheonhwa Dongin No. 5, and testimonies from related parties?and Kim's statements during his initial summons. Previously, Kim denied various allegations surrounding him related to the Daejang-dong development project during questioning and a Q&A session with reporters. He first claimed regarding the Cheonhwa Dongin No. 1 shares, "I am the actual owner." This contradicts the testimony of lawyer Jeong Min-yong, who appeared before the prosecution earlier and stated that former headquarters chief Yoo Dong-gyu claimed Cheonhwa Dongin No. 1 was his.

Regarding the so-called "70 billion won agreement" and the "35 billion won" bribery allegations contained in the recordings submitted by accountant Jeong Young-hak, Kim said they were "due to intentional recording and editing" or "not true." He also explained that the controversy over the 5 billion won retirement pay to Assemblyman Kwak Sang-do's son was handled properly. As for allegations of judicial bribery involving Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, he dismissed them as "absurd."

The investigation team reportedly concluded the initial questioning after Kim gave statements that differed from the evidence obtained so far. They have decided to proceed with additional questioning based on the credibility of his statements. Depending on circumstances, a confrontation investigation involving Kim, accountant Jeong, and former headquarters chief Yoo Dong-gyu is also possible. Inside and outside the prosecution, there is a prevailing view that since Yoo's detention period expires on the 20th of this month, Kim's re-summons will likely occur before then.

Through the investigation conducted so far, the team is reportedly considering the possibility that Kim was involved in skewing profits toward Hwacheon Daeyu during the design process of the Daejang-dong project. They are also viewing Kim as a possible accomplice of former headquarters chief Yoo, who was detained on charges including breach of trust. Analysis of the secured recordings suggests that Kim agreed to give 25% of the development profits to Yoo as compensation for benefits received during the project’s promotion, and it is suspected that 500 million won was actually delivered earlier this year. The use of Cheonhwa Dongin No. 1 as a nominee and the circumstances of bribery were also confirmed through the recordings and testimonies from related parties.

The investigation team is said to plan to request an arrest warrant if clear evidence of breach of trust or bribery emerges during further questioning. The prosecution generally considers that if a suspect denies charges despite clear physical evidence, there is a risk of evidence tampering, making detention necessary for the investigation.

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