[이코노미스트 안민구 기자] Prosecutors investigating the Homeplus crisis re-summoned Kim Kwang-il, vice chairman of MBK Partners and co-CEO of Homeplus, for questioning on Monday.

According to legal sources, the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office brought Kim in as a suspect on the morning of July 27. He faces charges including fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes and violations of the Capital Markets Act.

The latest questioning came just three days after Kim was first questioned as a suspect on July 24.

The investigation appears to be gaining momentum. Prosecutors questioned several Homeplus executives last month and summoned MBK Vice President Kim Jung-hwan on July 20.

Investigators suspect that MBK executives issued a large volume of short-term bonds despite knowing that Homeplus’ credit rating was set to be downgraded. Shortly afterward, the company abruptly filed for court-led rehabilitation, leaving investors with substantial losses.

Prosecutors are examining whether Homeplus and MBK issued the bonds before receiving initial notice of the credit-rating downgrade on Feb. 25 last year in an attempt to shift potential losses onto investors.

In April last year, prosecutors raided the headquarters of Homeplus and MBK Partners, along with the residences of MBK Chairman Michael Byung-ju Kim, Vice Chairman Kim and Homeplus CEO Cho Joo-youn. Chairman Kim and Vice Chairman Kim were questioned as suspects in December.

Based on the investigation, prosecutors sought arrest warrants on Jan. 7 for Chairman Kim, Vice Chairman Kim, MBK Vice President Kim Jung-hwan and MBK Executive Director Lee Sung-jin on charges including fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes and violations of the Capital Markets Act. The court, however, rejected the warrant requests.

Following months of limited progress, the case was reassigned in February from Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3 to Division 2.

Meanwhile, Homeplus recently secured 200 billion won in debtor-in-possession financing and filed an immediate appeal on July 20 against the court’s decision to terminate its rehabilitation proceedings.

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