Police grilled Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho for 11 hours until early Thursday over allegations that he used company money to pay security staff at his residence.

The chairman of Hanjin Group faces breach of trust charges, allegedly getting a Hanjin subsidiary to contract a security firm and then having the security guards work at his home in Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul.

This was the third time this year Cho was summoned by the prosecution for questioning as a suspect on different charges, including tax evasion.

As he left the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency early Thursday, a reporter asked whether he admitted to the charges, and Cho said: “I answered sincerely.”

He said he did not have anything to say to the public yet.

Police began the investigation in May after receiving intelligence that security firm UNIES signed a contract with Jungseok Enterprise, a property management agency under Hanjin Group, but that the security staff were sent to work at Cho’s home.

Police searched UNIES and its accounts, booked the head of Jungseok Enterprise surnamed Won, questioned 32 company staff including Won, and searched the main office of the Hanjin subsidiary. 

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)