Special Prosecutors Raid Public Procurement Service Over Presidential Residence Relocation Allegations, Seek Contract Records

\r\n
[The Financial News] The Special Prosecutors' Team, which is handling the remaining investigations among the three major special probes, has launched a raid on the Public Procurement Service (PPS) and other agencies in connection with the Presidential Residence Relocation Allegations.
The team said it has been carrying out searches of the PPS and other offices since around 9:50 a.m. on the 12th. It is reportedly seeking to secure contract documents and other materials related to the allegations.
The allegations center on claims that 21gram, a company with ties to Kim Keon Hee, unfairly won a contract during the selection process for the company handling the relocation of the Presidential Residence of South Korea. Yoon Han-hong, a People Power Party lawmaker who headed the Task Force (TF) in charge of the relocation at the time, is also accused of having intervened in the selection of 21gram. 21gram had previously sponsored exhibitions held by Kovana Contents, the company Kim ran before Yoon Suk Yeol was elected president, and handled office design and construction work for it.
The team is examining how 21gram, which was not qualified for the work, secured the relocation contract. The company is registered only for interior construction work, while the Framework Act on the Construction Industry classifies businesses that handle broader projects such as expansions as general construction firms. In other words, 21gram could only carry out interior work, and taking on the relocation project itself would have been illegal. As court testimony has indicated that the Presidential Transition Committee gave instructions when the selected contractor was later changed to 21gram, the team appears to be looking for evidence to support that claim.
A series of summonses for senior officials from the Yoon Suk Yeol administration involved in the relocation is scheduled for this week.
On the 13th, the team plans to question former Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Oh-jin as a suspect. Kim was indicted and detained in December last year by the Kim Keon Hee Special Prosecutor Team, led by Special Counsel Min Joung-kie, on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights in connection with the allegations.
On the 14th, former Chief Administrative Secretary to the President Yoon Jae-soon is scheduled to appear, and on the 15th, former Chief of Staff to the President Kim Daeki will also appear before the team as a suspect and undergo questioning.
Last month, the team signaled the start of its investigation by raiding the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea office of Yoon, as well as relevant ministries including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) and the Ministry of National Defense.
theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter