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검찰이 수천억원대 비자금을 조성해 운용하면서 2천78억원의 횡령•배임 및 탈세 범죄를 저지른 혐의로 이재현 CJ그룹 회장을 18일 구속 기소했다.
서울중앙지검 특수2부(윤대진 부장검사)는 이 회장에게 국내외 비자금을 차명으로 운용하며 546억원의 세금을 포탈한 혐의(특정범죄가중처벌법상 조세포탈)를 적용했다.
CJ그룹의 국내외 자산 963억원을 횡령하고 일본 도쿄의 빌딩 2채를 구입하면서 회사에 569억원의 손해를 끼친 혐의(특정경제범죄가중처벌법상 횡령•배임)도 포함됐다.
삼성 이건희 회장의 조카 이재현 회장은 국내 8번째 부자며 5월달부터 탈세, 횡령, 고스트 컴퍼니, 회계조작에 대한 집중 조사를 받았다. CJ그룹 회장을 포함한 사장단과 본사에 대한 압수수색을 시작으로 조사를 버렸다.
검찰이 두 달 동안 조사를 받은 이 회장은 현 정부 들어 구속 기소된 첫 대기업 총수로 기록됐다. 박 대통령은 재벌에 대한 부패와 탈세에 대한 처벌을 강화하겠다고 밝힌 적 있다. 또한 기업가들이 대통령의 사면권을 제한하겠다고 반복적으로 밝혔다.
수사를 지휘한 박정식 서울중앙지검 3차장검사는 “이번 사건은 재벌 총수의 대규모 역외탈세 범죄를 최초로 규명했다는 의의가 있다”며 “대기업 총수가 상장기업을 사유화해 법인자금을 불법 착복하고 거액을 탈세한 범죄를 엄단했다”고 말했다.
수사 결과 CJ그룹이 1990년대 말 이후 조성한 국내외 비자금은 6천200억원대로 파악됐다. 해외비자금과 관련, 이 회장의 지시 하에 총 7개의 페이퍼컴퍼니를 동원해 탈세를 감행했다. CJ그룹은 회장실 산하에 그룹 총수의 개인 재산을 관리하는 전담팀을 두고 조직적으로 수천억원의 국내외 비자금을 조성•관리해온 것으로 수사 결과 드러났다.
또 이 회장의 범죄에 가담한 성모 부사장과 하모씨, 배모씨 등 CJ그룹 전•현직 임원 3명을 불구속 기소했으며 현재 중국 체류 중인 전 CJ 재무팀장 김모씨를 지명수배하고 기소중지 조치했다.
검찰은 이 회장의 주가조작을 포함한 추가 혐의를 추가 조사하겠다고 밝혔다. 또한 외국인 투자자로 위장하고 해외 계좌를 통해 회사의 주식을 사들인 의혹도 받고 있다. 발표된 바에 의하면 주가조작을 통해 500억원 정도를 횡령한 것으로 알려졌다.
조사단은 이 회장의 불법 행위인 해외계좌를 만들기 위해 사용된 이름들은 공개하지 않는 방향으로 계획하고 있다. 검찰은 이 회장의 주가조작, 국외재산도피 혐의 등 여타 의혹에 대해서는 CJ그룹의 해외 차명계좌를 확보하고 금융감독원에서 관련 자료를 받아 계속 수사할 방침이다.
CJ 그룹은 “국민에게 심려를 끼쳐드려 죄송하다”고 말하고 “조사 결과를 겸허히 수용하고 향후 재판에 성실히 임하겠다”고 말했다. (영문: 조정은 기자, 한글: 김정보 인턴기자)
<관련 영문 기사>
CJ chairman indicted over slush funds, tax evasion
The chairman of food and entertainment giant CJ Group was indicted Thursday for amassing massive slush funds in and out of the country, evading tax and embezzling company funds for personal use.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office arrested Lee Jay-hyun on July 1 on charges of dodging some 54.6 billion won ($48 million) in taxes by creating secret funds under borrowed names at home and abroad.
The 53-year-old business tycoon is also accused of misappropriating 96.3 billion won of the group’s funds and inflicting 56.3 billion won worth of financial damage to the company by unlawfully buying two buildings in Tokyo.
Lee, a nephew of Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee and the nation’s eighth-richest man, has been under investigation since May for allegedly hoarding secret funds at home and abroad using borrowed-name accounts, ghost companies and fraudulent accounting.
CJ offices were raided and key officials including the chairman himself were summoned by the prosecution for questioning.
After a two-month-long probe, Lee has become the first conglomerate chief to be indicted under Park Geun-hye’s government. President Park previously said she planned to introduce stricter penalties with jail sentences for chaebol owners for embezzlement or corruption. She reiterated that presidential pardons for business leaders would be limited as well.
“It is the first case of offshore tax evasion committed by a conglomerate chief,” said Park Jeong-sik, a senior prosecutor in charge of the case.
“We have taken stern action against the chaebol boss who took company assets as personal property, misappropriated company funds and evaded massive amounts of tax,” he said.
Wrapping up its investigation, the prosecution said the CJ Group was found to have stashed illegal funds worth 620 billion won in and out of the country since the late ‘90s. The company, under Lee’s direction, established seven paper companies to illegally trade CJ shares and evade tax for substantial financial gains. To systematically dodge taxes and manage personal assets of the owner family, a secret team was even launched under the chairman’s office, prosecutors said.
Along with Lee, another three CJ executives accused of helping the chairman to amass the illegal funds were indicted. The list includes Shin Dong-ki, vice president of CJ Global Holdings, indicted on charges of tax evasion, company fund embezzlement and breach of duty. The prosecution has also put another executive staying in China on a wanted list.
The prosecution said it would probe into other allegations against Lee, including stock price manipulation. He is also suspected of hiding massive funds in overseas accounts and illegally purchasing shares of his companies by disguising himself as a foreign investor. Lee allegedly gained profits worth more than 5 billion won through the alleged stock manipulation, according to reports.
Investigators plan to secure borrowed-name accounts in overseas banks and relevant documents from a state financial regulator to prove Lee’s wrongdoings. They have also referred the case to National Tax Service to collect unpaid taxes from the indicted chairman and his accomplices.
CJ group issued an apology to the public for “causing concern.”
“We humbly accept the result of the prosecution’s investigation and will fulfill (our) duty (during the planned) trials,” the group said.
By Cho Chung-un
(christory@heraldcorp.com)
CJ chairman indicted over slush funds, tax evasion
The chairman of food and entertainment giant CJ Group was indicted Thursday for amassing massive slush funds in and out of the country, evading tax and embezzling company funds for personal use.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office arrested Lee Jay-hyun on July 1 on charges of dodging some 54.6 billion won ($48 million) in taxes by creating secret funds under borrowed names at home and abroad.
The 53-year-old business tycoon is also accused of misappropriating 96.3 billion won of the group’s funds and inflicting 56.3 billion won worth of financial damage to the company by unlawfully buying two buildings in Tokyo.
Lee, a nephew of Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee and the nation’s eighth-richest man, has been under investigation since May for allegedly hoarding secret funds at home and abroad using borrowed-name accounts, ghost companies and fraudulent accounting.
CJ offices were raided and key officials including the chairman himself were summoned by the prosecution for questioning.
After a two-month-long probe, Lee has become the first conglomerate chief to be indicted under Park Geun-hye’s government. President Park previously said she planned to introduce stricter penalties with jail sentences for chaebol owners for embezzlement or corruption. She reiterated that presidential pardons for business leaders would be limited as well.
“It is the first case of offshore tax evasion committed by a conglomerate chief,” said Park Jeong-sik, a senior prosecutor in charge of the case.
“We have taken stern action against the chaebol boss who took company assets as personal property, misappropriated company funds and evaded massive amounts of tax,” he said.
Wrapping up its investigation, the prosecution said the CJ Group was found to have stashed illegal funds worth 620 billion won in and out of the country since the late ‘90s. The company, under Lee’s direction, established seven paper companies to illegally trade CJ shares and evade tax for substantial financial gains. To systematically dodge taxes and manage personal assets of the owner family, a secret team was even launched under the chairman’s office, prosecutors said.
Along with Lee, another three CJ executives accused of helping the chairman to amass the illegal funds were indicted. The list includes Shin Dong-ki, vice president of CJ Global Holdings, indicted on charges of tax evasion, company fund embezzlement and breach of duty. The prosecution has also put another executive staying in China on a wanted list.
The prosecution said it would probe into other allegations against Lee, including stock price manipulation. He is also suspected of hiding massive funds in overseas accounts and illegally purchasing shares of his companies by disguising himself as a foreign investor. Lee allegedly gained profits worth more than 5 billion won through the alleged stock manipulation, according to reports.
Investigators plan to secure borrowed-name accounts in overseas banks and relevant documents from a state financial regulator to prove Lee’s wrongdoings. They have also referred the case to National Tax Service to collect unpaid taxes from the indicted chairman and his accomplices.
CJ group issued an apology to the public for “causing concern.”
“We humbly accept the result of the prosecution’s investigation and will fulfill (our) duty (during the planned) trials,” the group said.
By Cho Chung-un
(christory@heraldcorp.com)
