[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Lee Man-hee (89), the president of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji), which has been identified as the main culprit in the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), has been reported to the prosecution.
The National Shincheonji Victims Solidarity (Jeonpiyeon) held a press conference at 11 a.m. on the 27th in front of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, announcing that they are filing charges against President Lee for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act and for embezzlement and breach of trust under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.
In the complaint, Jeonpiyeon claimed that Shincheonji has been downplaying the number of gathering venues and followers, obstructing epidemiological investigations out of fear of organizational protection and exposure of their identity, and urged the prosecution to conduct forced investigations such as church raids.
Jeonpiyeon pointed out, "Although they appear to cooperate outwardly, they are distributing false behavioral guidelines to followers behind the scenes, and a former health center quarantine team leader who was a member confessed to being part of Shincheonji only after testing positive late, showing their desperate attempts to hide their identity."
They added, "President Lee, aside from his role as a cult leader, has no particular ability to accumulate wealth," and alleged embezzlement in the acquisition process of real estate worth around 10 billion won involving President Lee and Kim Nam-hee, known as his former mistress. They raised issues regarding the Shincheonji training center called 'Palace of Peace' in Goseong-ri, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province; a villa in Seonchon-ri, Gapyeong-gun; and lands and buildings in Cheongpyeong-ri, Gapyeong-gun, and Hyeon-ri, Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongbuk Province.
Jeonpiyeon also raised suspicions that Shincheonji interfered in elections and created slush funds to lobby the political sphere, citing media reports such as "Cult leader Lee Man-hee boasted that he named the Saenuri Party" and "They systematically joined as party members during the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye presidential elections to intervene in the elections."
The organization demanded that the prosecution conduct raids on the Shincheonji headquarters office in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, and the Busan Jacob Branch headquarters office, which oversees the branch established in Wuhan, China, the origin of COVID-19, to investigate these allegations.
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