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Lee’s death will not affect Lotte probe: prosecution
By Shin Ji-hyePublished : Aug. 28, 2016 - 17:19
The prosecution said Sunday the death of Lotte Group’s vice chairman would not affect the ongoing investigation on the retail giant.
Lee In-won, the group chairman Shin Dong-bin’s long-time and closest aide, was found hanged on Friday morning. He was scheduled to be questioned by prosecutors on the day as part of the ongoing probe into Lotte. The group is suspected of evading taxes amounting to 600 billion won ($530 million) and creating slush funds worth 50 billion won.
The Lotte key man’s death who claimed in his suicide note that the group has no slush fund could hamper the investigation on the group, industry watchers said.
The prosecutors, however, showed strong willingness to resume the investigation once the funeral is over.
“It is sad that Lee committed suicide but that should not significantly influence the probe,” a prosecution official said, adding, “There will be no change in the range and direction made based on we have investigated so far.”
A day earlier, the police concluded that Lee died as an act of suicide based on its investigation, saying, “There was nothing unusual about his whereabouts and telephone records.”
Shin Dong-bin visited Lee’s mortuary on Saturday. The chairman in a dark blue suit and black necktie arrived at the funeral in the morning and his eyes were bloodshot even before giving condolences.
When asked by reporters about his feelings, Shin chocked and couldn’t utter a word.
“There is nothing we can say about his private feelings and we have nothing to officially announce about the funeral,” a Lotte official said.
Lotte Group founder and his eldest son Dong-joo have not reportedly visited the mortuary.
By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)
