Prosecutors said Thursday that they plan to indict a Sambu Construction executive, who faces charges of manipulating stock prices, potentially in collaboration with former first lady Kim Keon-hee.

The special counsel team led by Min Joong-ki announced in a briefing on Thursday that it plans to detain Sambu Construction vice chairman Lee Ki-hoon on Friday in connection with the fraud case.

The vice chairman has been accused of falsely claiming to investors that the company was slated to carry out construction projects in Ukraine from May to September of 2023 and consequently pocketing tens of billions of won in illicit profit.

Lee was under special counsel investigation for potential violations of the Capital Markets Act earlier this year, but he fled in July before a scheduled detention hearing. The suspect was apprehended 55 days after his escape in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province.

The team began investigating the former first lady’s possible involvement in the scheme after finding that one of her close associates had warned members of a group chat to “check” Sambu Construction before its price jumped.