Kim may face indictment during late August, according to the latest reports.
In a series of developments, a special counsel team is delving into allegations of corruption within South Korea's People Power Party. The team is currently investigating three major allegations against former party leader Kim, who has been taken into custody on charges including violation of the Political Funds Act, the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act, and bribery.
Kim's detention period has been extended until Aug. 31, following a court grant on Aug. 12 over evidence-tampering concerns. It is believed that the special counsel team can keep Kim detained for a maximum of 18 months with the permission of the district, appellate, and Supreme Court.
The allegations against Kim are not isolated incidents. The special counsel team has raised suspicions that a large number of Unification Church members joined the People Power Party, with party officials such as Jeon and the Unification Church official Koichi Kato thought to have interfered in the party's leadership race.
The Unification Church official is suspected of seeking to gain Kim's favour for projects in the church's interests, including business operations in Cambodia. The special counsel team plans to question Kim regarding her connections to shaman Jeon Seong-bae and the Unification Church.
The special counsel team alleges that a high-ranking Unification Church official gave Jeon Seong-bae a diamond necklace worth 60 million won and two Chanel handbags to pass on to Kim. Jeon Seong-bae, also known as Geon Jin, is suspected of acting as an intermediary for Kim in alleged bribery schemes.
The special counsel led by Min Joong-ki is expected to indict former first lady Kim Keon Hee in late August. If indicted and found guilty, Kim will be the first former first lady to face a criminal trial as a defendant.
The People Power Party, however, has been uncooperative in the investigation. The party insisted that the membership list could not be provided since it contains personal information. The special counsel team tried to secure the party membership list, but the party refused to cooperate in the warrant execution.
Under the Political Parties Act, authorities can examine a party's member list in the case of a criminal investigation and if the court issues a warrant. The team's inability to access the membership list may hinder their investigation.
The alleged tripartite corruption ties also include Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, a former People Power Party floor leader. The events unfolding suggest a complex web of corruption within the People Power Party, with the special counsel team working diligently to uncover the truth.
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