The special counsel team investigating former first lady Kim Keon-hee has issued a red notice for Kim Ye-seong, a key figure in the so-called butler gate scandal, who is believed to have fled overseas.

Special counsel spokesperson Moon Hong-joo said during a regular press briefing Thursday that a warrant for Kim Ye-seong’s arrest was issued the previous day and that he has been placed on the national wanted list, with procedures initiated to invalidate his passport.

Moon said Kim Ye-seong appears to have fled from Vietnam to a third country, and urged his immediate return and cooperation with the investigation.

Kim Ye-seong is alleged to have helped found and held shares in a rental car company that received 18-point-four billion won, approximately 13-point-two million U.S. dollars, in investment, and is suspected of funneling four-point-six billion won worth of those shares to a shell company for illicit gain.

His wife, who was barred from leaving the country last month, is also being urged to appear for questioning after reportedly going into hiding.

Meanwhile, Lee Ki-hoon, a construction executive linked to a separate stock manipulation case involving false claims about Ukraine reconstruction projects, failed to appear for a detention warrant hearing on Wednesday and is also believed to be on the run.

Regarding the so-called Myung Tae-kyun lobbying scandal, Moon criticized certain political figures for delaying or refusing to comply with questioning and urged them to cooperate.