Lim Young-rok |
Lim is also suspected of having accepted bribes worth 100 million won ($90,000) from a software development company in exchange for exerting his influence to get the firm a contract in KB's computer system upgrade project.
On Thursday, the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office also requested an arrest warrant for Kim Jae-yeol, KB's former chief information officer, for allegedly taking a 60 million won bribe from an IT company last year.
Under Lim, KB Financial Group sought upgrade its internal computer system, replacing its old IBM-based mainframe system with a Unix one. The project would cost the company 130 billion won ($123 million).
KT was the primary contractor for the project, with smaller companies mentioned in connection with the bribery as subcontractors.
There are two other KB executives suspected of receiving money from potential subcontractors as well.
This is part of the prosecution's ongoing investigation into the dubious deal since the fall of last year. The prosecutor discovered the bribery cases after raiding KB Kookmin Bank's computer center in September over alleged irregularities in the bank's newly established computing system. In October, the prosecution also raided the offices of several subcontractors.