A Seoul court has accepted a request by prosecutors to freeze five billion won in assets held by the son of lawmaker Kwak Sang-do, as part of an investigation into the lucrative Seongnam development project. 

According to members of the legal circle on Tuesday, the Seoul Central District Court accepted prosecutors’ request to freeze the funds that a suspect gained through an alleged crime until a verdict is reached. 

The amount was set at five billion won as that is the amount that asset management firm Hwacheon Daeyu, at the center of the scandal, gave to Kwak’s son in severance pay. 

Prosecutors believe the money was actually a bribe for Kwak given that he allegedly facilitated various procedures in the development project. Ten bank accounts held by Kwak’s son will be subject to the freeze. 

With the latest move, Kwak and his son will not be allowed to dispose of assets suspected to have been gained through criminal activity. 

The court reached the decision after assessing that Kwak and his son colluded to commit an act that could be regarded as bribery under the nation’s law on aggravated punishment for specific crimes.