A special counsel team probing allegations concerning former first lady Kim Keon-hee sought a pretrial detention warrant for one of her closest aides, former Black Pearl Invest CEO Lee Jong-ho, on charges of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act.

At a press briefing on Friday, assistant counselor Oh Jung-hee said the warrant request was filed in the morning and that the Seoul Central District Court is set to convene a review hearing at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Lee is suspected of receiving some 80 million won, or around 57-thousand U.S. dollars, from Lee Jeong-pil, who is believed to be the former first lady's bank account manager and one of key players in an alleged stock manipulation at Deutsch Motors in return for helping to reduce his criminal punishment.

Lee Jong-ho is suspected of being the "control tower" in the alleged stock manipulation, and is included in other allegations of stock manipulation at Sambu Construction.

He is also accused of involvement in the lobbying to exonerate former Marine Corps First Division Commander Lim Seong-geun following the 2023 death of a Marine corporal during a search operation amid heavy downpours.