Special counsel raids home of Lee's eldest brother

A special counsel raided the home and office of President Lee Myung-bak's eldest brother on Wednesday on suspicions he played a role in alleged irregularities in a now-scrapped project to build Lee's retirement home, officials said. The raid came as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations that Lee's son, Si-hyung, and the presidential security service violated real estate laws and used taxpayers' money to buy a plot of land for the retirement home, which was to be built in Naegok-dong on the southern edge of Seoul. Lee's eldest brother, Sang-eun, reportedly loaned some 600 million won ($542,000) to his nephew for the purchase. "(The raid) was aimed at securing the material we need to verify basic facts such as money flows and details of contracts," special prosecutor Lee Kwang-bum told a press briefing. Lee heads the counsel of 63 members, including two assistant counsels, police officers and special investigators. The special investigation team raided the elder Lee's home in eastern Seoul and his office at the headquarters of automotive seat maker DAS, where he serves as chairman, in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, officials said. The team also raided several other sites related to Lee Si-hyung and two real estate agencies that were involved in the land purchase last year. Opposition parties and civic groups have claimed the security service and the son did not evenly share the cost of the plot, which included land on which to build auxiliary facilities for security personnel. The security service paid a high price for the site for security facilities, effectively allowing the son to profit from buying the site at a below-market price, they claimed. The presidential office has flatly rejected suspicions it was an illicit scheme to help Lee's son profit. Lee later scrapped the project and decided to move into his existing private house in Nonhyun-dong in southern Seoul after leaving office next February. As part of the investigation, the Justice Ministry on Tuesday banned about 10 people from leaving the country, including the 34-year-old son and his 79-year-old uncle. The chairman, however, left for China a day earlier on what DAS officials said was a business trip. He is scheduled to return next Wednesday, they said. Special prosecutor Lee said his team has issued a summons for three people, including a member of the presidential security service, to appear for questioning on Thursday. Counsel officials said they are also trying to reach the land's 56-year-old former owner, identified only by his last name Yu, who is known to be in the United States after having left the country on May 12. The special investigation comes after prosecutors wrapped up an inquiry into the scandal in June this year without filing charges against anyone involved, including the younger Lee, saying all suspicions in the case had been resolved. The prosecutors said there was no evidence of malpractice in dividing the cost of the plot between the president's son and the presidential office. They also said there is no evidence that the president tried to buy land illegally in the name of his son. That decision sparked a wave of public criticism and led the ruling and opposition parties to agree to a reinvestigation.(Yonhap)