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(2nd LD) Investigators raid Samsung Electronics in corruption probe: sources
SEOUL, Feb. 14 (Yonhap) -- Investigators raided the headquarters of Samsung Electronics Thursday as part of their high-profile probe of the company's parent Samsung Group that allegedly created a huge slush fund to bribe government officials, sources said.
The agents from an independent counsel team were searching the head office of the world's biggest memory chip maker in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, the sources at the team said.
The search is to find materials related to other suspicions over Samsung's alleged illegal management practices, including a transfer of managerial control from Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee to his only son, Jae-yong, according to the sources. The 40-year-old Jae-yong is a senior vice president of Samsung Electronics.
Samsung Electronics officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
In the past several weeks, prosecutors have raided several of Samsung's buildings for the probe, including the group chairman's house and his private office that have been beyond the reach of law enforcement officials. But the surprise searches yielded little evidence, raising suspicions that Samsung hid or destroyed pertinent materials ahead of the raids.
The high-profile probe kicked off last month after a former lawyer for Samsung raised a slew of bombshell allegations against South Korea's biggest conglomerate.
Kim Yong-chul, who worked for Samsung as its attorney from 1997 to 2004, stepped forward in November to accuse Samsung of amassing 7 trillion won (US$7.5 billion) to regularly bribe government officials, judges, prosecutors and the media. The illegal money was allegedly stored in hundreds of bank accounts opened under the names of senior executives, he said.
With a mandate until early April, the independent counsel team will also look into an allegation that Lee's family used part of the slush fund to purchase expensive artwork from Christie's, a leading auction house in New York.
The probe may even involve outgoing President Roh Moo-hyun. Some members of his 2002 election campaign staff are accused of taking congratulatory money from Samsung after his election.
The South Korean economy is heavily dependent on Samsung. The conglomerate accounts for nearly a quarter of South Korea's exports and gross national product with its 59 affiliates including Samsung Electronics and Samsung Heavy Industries, the world's No. 2 shipbuilder.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
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