A former aide to People Power Party lawmaker Baek Jong-heon has been indicted and detained on charges of accepting about 95 million won ($68,000) in cash and valuables in return for granting business favors to a healthcare startup.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office anti-corruption investigation division said on the 30th that it had indicted and detained the 46-year-old former aide, identified as A, on charges including bribery. The 39-year-old head of the healthcare startup, identified as B, who allegedly provided the money, was also indicted and detained on charges including embezzlement and offering bribes.
According to prosecutors, B allegedly embezzled about 900 million won in company funds by falsely registering family members and acquaintances as employees, and handed about 95 million won of that amount to A as bribes. In return, A allegedly arranged for government agencies to use B's company's programs and passed on information about the progress of an investigation by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
B also faces charges of obtaining about 440 million won in subsidies by submitting false proposals for projects commissioned by a state-run institution.
Prosecutors also charged A with falsely hiring an acquaintance, identified as C, as a secretary in the lawmaker's office, allowing C to collect about 33 million won in salary from the National Assembly. Prosecutors indicted C on fraud charges without detention.
