Lee Myung-bak Scandal

[Anchor Lead]

The prosecution has pointed to former President Lee Myung-bak as the main actor behind a scandal surrounding the National Intelligence Service's so-called special activity funds. Investigations into other close aides of the ex-president have begun as well.

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The prosecution launched additional investigations into the National Intelligence Service's provision of the so-called special activity funds. Prosecutors raided the college office of former Minister Park Jae-wan and the office of Jang Dasa-ro, a former general affairs secretary for Lee. They also immediately summoned and questioned the two to find the truth. Prosecutors believe that the two received special activities funds worth hundreds of millions of won from the National Intelligence Service while working at the presidential office from 2008. Prosecutors have found that Lee's personal secretary received 100,000 U.S. dollars from the spy agency and delivered it to former First Lady Kim Youn-ok. Former general affairs secretary Kim Paik-joon received 400 million won, while another 50 million won was provided as hush money to hide illegal surveillance of civilians. The money given to Park and other officials are illegal funds provided on top of 550 million won already accounted for. It has been revealed that they received the money at the order of Lee. Prosecutors believe that Lee's presidential office was using the spy agency's special activity funds as a private piggy bank through multiple channels. The prosecutorial investigation is gaining speed, as Lee's close aides have begun to speak and suspicions of additional offenses have surfaced. Prosecutors have in mind a plan to summon the former president.