Roh denies involvement in bribery scandal, his wife grilled by prosecutors

(ATTN: UPDATES with political parties' responses in last 6 paras)
SEOUL, April 12 (Yonhap) -- Former President Roh Moo-hyun on Sunday dismissed
reports of his direct involvement in a widening bribery scandal after his wife
was questioned by prosecutors for receiving US$1 million in cash from a
businessman at the center of the case.

As Roh clarified his position online, his only son, Geon-ho, was being quizzed by
prosecutors in connection with allegations that one of his in-laws received $5
million from the same businessman, Park Yeon-cha.
Since his arrest by prosecutors in December, Park, once known as a financial
supporter of Roh, has allegedly admitted to giving illicit funds to a number of
politicians and former government officials, many of them linked to the
ex-president.
Roh, who retired last year, also admitted last week that his wife Kwon Yang-sook
had taken US$ 1 million in 2007 from the businessman who owns a shoemaking firm,
to pay off debts.
Roh did not elaborate whether the money was a loan, while prosecutors suspect it
was a bribery given at the request of the former president.
"According to media reports, chairman Park made remarks that are different from
the fact I know," Roh said in a brief
statement posted on his Web site. "Explanation and defense are needed as stories
different from the truth are reported as if they were facts."
The scandal dealt a serious blow to the former president's image as a clean
politician. Prosecutors are expected to summon him soon for interrogation.
Settled in his hometown near the southern port city Busan after ending a
five-year term as president in early 2008, Roh said he wants to spend the rest of
his life "peacefully" unlike some of his predecessors who stood trial on
corruption charges.
According to local media, the scandal-ridden businessman under arrest told
prosecutors that Roh had demanded the money himself, not his wife, while he was
in office. Roh denied the allegation.
Roh's wife was questioned by prosecutors for almost 11 hours on Saturday, a move
widely seen as a preparation for summoning the former president
Prosecutors refused to disclose further details, including when to call in the
ex-president.
"The timing and method have not been decided yet," Hong Man-pyo, a senior
prosecutor at the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office said, adding that the
prosecution has no plan to re-summon Roh's wife.
Yeon Chul-ho, husband of one of Roh's niece, and Jung Sang-Moon, a former aide
to Roh, are already under investigation on suspicion that they received illicit
money from the businessman.
Roh's son is suspected of playing a role in helping Yeon receive $5 million from
the businessman. Yeon claims that the money from the businessman was a legitimate
investment into his investment firm but prosecutors suspect that it could be
bribes.
Political parties responded sensitively to the scandal especially ahead of the
April 29 by-elections, in which five parliamentary seats will be up for grabs.
The ruling Grand National Party accused Roh of trying to pass his legal
responsibility to his wife.
"It is not tolerable that the whole family is involved in illicit money
transactions, whoever among the Roh family received money and whether former
president Roh was aware of them or not," the party's spokeswoman Cho Yoon-sun
said. "It is disappointing that former president Roh is seeking to avoid his
legal responsibility."
The main opposition Democratic Party, on the ticket of which Roh was elected
president in 2002, also expressed regret over the case but claimed that
prosecutors' probe is biased.
"Prosecutors should investigate everybody and bring to justice anybody who
committed crimes," its spokeswoman Kim Yoo-jung said.
She argued that the prosecution is deliberately speeding up its probe on
opposition-related figures, while showing leniency towards those in the ruling
circles.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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