The Korea Herald

피터빈트

Prosecutors to seek arrest warrant for lawmaker

By Korea Herald

Published : Aug. 20, 2012 - 20:40

    • Link copied

Prosecutors plan to request an arrest warrant for a lawmaker on Wednesday over allegations that she bribed her way into the parliament, sources said Monday.

Rep. Hyun Young-hee, who was expelled from the Saenuri Party on Friday, is suspected of passing about 300 million won ($264,700) in bribes to a member of the party’s committee responsible for nominating proportional candidates in a bid to win the proportional representation ticket ahead of April’s general elections.

The lawmaker also allegedly gave 20 million won in illegal political funds to Hong Joon-pyo, a former chairman of the Saenuri Party, and paid volunteers during her election campaign, which is banned by law.

“Some inside discussion is needed, but Rep. Hyun’s arrest is inevitable,” a prosecution official close to the investigation said.

If prosecutors request the arrest warrant, they will require parliamentary consent as lawmakers in South Korea are immune from arrest while the National Assembly is in session.

Despite the expulsion, Hyun still holds onto her parliamentary seat as an independent.

The lawmaker, who has denied the allegations, has been summoned for questioning three times so far, on Aug. 6, Aug. 18 and Aug. 19.

Hyun fainted as she was leaving the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office in the port city of Busan around 1 a.m. on Monday, after undergoing 15 hours of intensive questioning.

She was taken to a nearby hospital for minor treatment. (Yonhap News)