Seoul: Police on Monday identified Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja as a suspect in a bribery case involving politicians from both ruling and opposition parties as it carried out sweeping raids for the investigation, officials said. Han, who is currently in custody and on trial for allegedly providing luxury gifts to former first lady Kim Keon Hee, is suspected of providing bribes to multiple politicians and violating the Political Funds Act, according to a search warrant.
According to Yonhap News Agency, earlier in the day, police investigators were sent to search the church's Cheonjeonggung complex, known as Han's residence, in Gapyeong County, the church's headquarters in Seoul, the Seoul Detention Center, where Han is currently held, and seven other locations as part of the probe. Other locations under police searches include former Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo's residence and office and the homes of former Democratic Party lawmaker Lim Jong-seong and former United Future Party lawmaker Kim Gyu-hwan.
Chun is suspected of receiving 20 million won (US$13,600) in cash and a luxury watch worth 10 million won in 2018, while the two former lawmakers are accused of each receiving about 30 million won around April 2020 when parliamentary elections took place. Chun, who resigned as oceans minister last week, and the former lawmakers have all rejected the allegations.
The investigation takes place after a former church official implicated in the bribery case involving the former first lady-the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol-testified at court the church sought to support both ruling and opposition party politicians. Through the raids, police are expected to seize the church's accounting records and make efforts to search for the bribes the church allegedly gave the politicians.
Meanwhile, police sent investigators to the office of special counsel Min Joong-ki as it believes the team investigating corruption allegations surrounding the former first lady did not fully send records when it transferred the case last week. Police are looking into allegations of bias in the special counsel team's probe, which has investigated the Unification Church's alleged ties to the People Power Party affiliated with the former president. The former church official, Yun Young-ho, has also been booked as a suspect for providing bribes.