검찰 '靑캐비닛 문건' 본격 수사
Prosecutors
launch probe over "cabinet documents"
Prosecutors said
Monday they have launched an investigation into documents purportedly written
by the former president Park Geun-hye administration regarding the leadership
succession of Samsung in connection with the bribery scandal that removed her
from office.
On Friday, the
presidential office Cheong Wa Dae revealed what it claimed to be a lengthy
paper trail from the Park administration that possibly suggests backdoor
support for a controversial merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015 deemed
vital to a smooth leadership transfer to Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee
Jae-yong.
The discovery of
the documents immediately drew the spotlight as both Park and Lee are currently
detained and standing trial on bribery charges in relation to the merger
approval. The prosecution has accused Park of lending support to the deal in
exchange for money from Lee.
The Seoul Central
District Prosecutors' Office said it received part of the documents from the
independent counsel team in charge of the high-profile scandal and that it is
planning to carry out a detailed analysis to verify them. The presidential
office said earlier that they handed over copies of the documents to the
special probe team.
Following the
authentication process, the prosecution is expected to decide whether to submit
any of them to the court as evidence against the former president and the
Samsung’s de facto leader.