A Grade 7 Public Official Tried to Shift Drunk Driving Charges to a Contract Worker, Fined 5 Million Won

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] A Grade 7 public official was fined for attempting to conceal a drunk driving offense by swapping seats with a contract female employee when the police arrived.

On the 18th, Judge Yoonhan Lim of the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 7 sentenced A (34), a Grade 7 public official affiliated with Namdong-gu Office in Incheon, to a fine of 5 million won for being charged with aiding and abetting a criminal. B (35), an employee of Namdong-gu Office who was charged with aiding and abetting the crime by swapping seats with A, was fined 2 million won.

Judge Lim explained, "A was afraid that his status as a public official would be exposed, so he asked B to pretend to have been driving instead. B, unable to refuse a colleague's request, gave false testimony at the police station despite not having driven under the influence."

He added, "Although the nature of the crime is serious and considering the defendants' status, the possibility of criticism is high, they surrendered shortly after the offense, and it has not been proven that A was driving under the influence to a degree warranting punishment."

Previously, at the sentencing hearing held on the 6th, the prosecution requested a one-year prison sentence for A and a fine of 2 million won for B.

A was non-custodially indicted on charges of driving a K9 passenger car under the influence on a road in Dongchun-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, at 12:07 a.m. on November 30 last year, and swapping seats with B, who was in the back seat, to conceal the offense.

It was investigated that A swapped seats with B upon the police's arrival after receiving a report from another driver about a vehicle zigzagging on the road.