Prosecutors indicted Song Young-gil, a former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), Thursday over a cash-for-votes scandal surrounding the party's 2021 leadership election. The indictment by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office came about nine months since an investigation was launched into allegations that Song's campaign distributed cash envelopes totaling 66 million won (US$50,366) to 20 sitting DP lawmakers and other party members in the run-up to the party's leadership election in May 2021, which he ultimately won. Prosecutors suspect Song sourced the money through illegal political funds worth 60 million won he received from a businessman and Rep. Lee Sung-man, who worked for Song's campaign. The alleged money distribution eventually facilitated Song's razor-thin election victory over a competitor, prosecutors said. Song is also charged with taking 763 million won in illegal political funds and bribes between 2020 and 2021 via his support group, the Research Institute for Pe ace and Livelihood, from seven businesspeople, including a former chief of the Yeosu arm of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Prosecutors brought charges of illegal political funding and bribery against Song as they indicted him under physical detention. The former DP head has been under prosecution custody since a court issued an arrest warrant for him on Dec. 18 and has been boycotting prosecution questioning since, claiming his innocence. Song has squarely denied the allegations, accusing prosecutors of "a politically orchestrated investigation" targeting him. With Song's indictment, prosecutors are widely expected to widen their investigation to identify sitting lawmaker recipients of the 20 alleged cash envelopes. So far, three lawmakers -- Lee who left the DP in the wake of the scandal and two other DP members -- have been either questioned or searched in connection with the scandal. Source: Yonhap News Agency
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