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S.Korea's Lotte executive grilled by prosecutors over corruption allegations

Xinhua, April 14, 2017 Adjust font size:

One of the executives at Lotte Group, South Korea's fifth-biggest family-run conglomerate, was grilled Friday by prosecutors over corruption allegations embroiling former President Park Geun-hye who was impeached and arrested.

So Jin-sei, chief of Lotte's committee for social contribution, was summoned earlier in the day by prosecutors who are investigating the corruption scandal involving former President Park, according to local media reports.

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin was questioned in early April for his alleged involvement in the scandal.

Lotte donated millions of U.S. dollars to two nonprofit foundations controlled by Park's longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil who is at the center of the influence-peddling scandal.

Part of the donation was returned back to Lotte, right before prosecutors raided Lotte headquarters and offices in June last year, raising suspicion over the donations in return for something.

At the time, the Lotte chairman was under probe into alleged charges of embezzlement and dereliction of duty.

Lotte lost one of its licenses to operate duty free shops in downtown Seoul in November 2015, but it restored the license about a year later. Chairman Shin met face-to-face with the impeached president in March last year.

Prosecutors reportedly planned to indict Park next Monday on charges, including bribery and abuse of power. She was impeached on March 10 and arrested three weeks later.

Chairman Shin could reportedly be indicted on charges of bribery when prosecutors indict Park next week. Endit