◀ Anchor ▶
In addition to former lawmaker Kwak Sang-do, five other people have been mentioned in the so-called ‘5 billion club’.
Former Congressman Kwak, the only one who was tried, was acquitted today, and the other five are not even standing trial.
We analyzed the records of the first investigation in Daejang-dong obtained by MBC to see how far the investigation has progressed, but the investigation of the other five does not seem to have made much progress.
Next, reporter Kim Ji-in will tell you.
◀ Report ▶
The ‘5 Billion Club’ first appeared in a conversation in March 2020 from ‘Jung Young-hak Transcript’.
Kim Man-bae said, “Let’s count how many 50 there are,” and listed the names of six people, “Choi Jae-gyeong, Park Young-soo, Kwak Sang-do, Kim Soo-nam, Hong Seong-geun , and Kwon Soon-il.”
“Lawyers can pay advisory fees, but the daughter of former Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo and former Congressman Kwak Sang-do cannot,” he said, discussing the method of execution.
Suspicion arose that lawyers from the General Prosecutor and the Supreme Court justices, as well as the president of a media company, were promised 5 billion won.
MBC looked for references to them in the records of the first investigation in Daejang-dong.
Former Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo made frequent appearances.
Accountant Jung Young-hak said, “In 2012, former Special Prosecutor Man-bae Park told Kim to ‘help Dae Jang-dong and Nam-wook,’ and Kim joined.”
Prosecutors also investigated how Hwacheon Daeyu recruited high-ranking former officials as advisers.
The person in charge of Hwacheon Daeyu said, “Park Young-soo, Kim Soo-nam, and Kwon Sun-il were all recruited under the direction of Kim Man-bae.”
There is also a statement that Mr. Kim also set the consulting fee of 10 to 20 million won per month, but there was nothing special to do.
“Former Special Prosecutor Park talked about business for an hour or two two or three times a month and went to eat,” and “I know that he has never received legal advice from other advisors.”
I called the daughter of former special prosecutor Park Young-soo, who joined Hwacheon Daeyu, and looked into the recruitment process, but that’s it.
In the first investigation record, which former general manager Yoo Dong-gyu judged as a bribe destination, no trace of the ‘5 billion club’ investigation could be found.
The second investigation team, which began in earnest in July last year, is arresting aides of Lee Jae-myeong of the Democratic Party of Korea and targeting Lee.
It is almost a year and a half since the suspicion of the ‘5 billion club’ was first raised.
The second investigation team only repeats the words, “We will investigate after investigating the mainstream of the suspicion.”
This is Kim Ji-in from MBC News.
Video commentary: Jeon Seung-hyun / Video editing: Ahn Jun-hyeok
MBC News awaits your report 24 hours a day.
▷ Telephone 02-784-4000
▷ Email mbcjebo@mbc.co.kr
▷ Report Kakao Talk @ mbc
