By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter
The National Election Commission (NEC) filed a complaint Friday to the prosecution against 18 businessmen and six politicians who had allegedly violated laws governing political funds.
The NEC said that political parties inappropriately used 297 million won ($290,464) from the nation’s coffer for political funds, and laid a complaint against party officials in charge of accounts and finance.
They include Choi Gu-soung, deputy secretary-general of the ruling Uri Party and Ham Suk-jae, head of financial committee of the Grand National Party (GNP). Choi omitted 23 million won in the party accounts and failed to submit relevant receipts while Ham manipulated the party balance sheet.
In a press release dubbed ``inspection of 2004 political funds,’’ the NEC said there were 242 illegal cases concerning political funds last year.
``The NEC brought twenty-four people involved in 11 serious cases out of 242 to the prosecution, and issued a warning to the others,’’ the press release said.
Private uses of political funds were the most frequently committed with 64 cases, followed by political funds delivery under the fake name of contributors with 43 cases. Politicians spent some of the political subsidy on meals, drinks and even fines of traffic violation, according to the NEC.
By political party, of those who violated laws on political funds, the Uri Party had the highest with 102 cases, followed by the GNP with 78 cases and the Democratic Labor Party with 22.
This is the first time for the NEC to conduct an inspection of suspicious politicians and businessmen over political funds and make a complaint of them to the prosecution.
Among the companies who lobbied politicians, Korean Air was found to have systemically given 135,000,000 won to 49 politicians, the NEC said.
The Political Fund Law, which was revised March last year, prohibits political funds given to any politicians under the name of corporations or groups. CEOs and their family members of corporations are also forbidden to contribute to political funds.
``The number of illegal implementation of political funds decreased compared with the previous year, but some political parties continue to spend them on drinks and meals,’’ an official of the NEC said.
yoonwonsup@koreatimes.co.kr
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