Daegu District Court Acquits Samhwa Food CEO and All Related Parties of Food Violation Charges
Two Police Superintendents from Daegu Also Acquitted... Two Officers Receive Suspended Sentences and Fines
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Jae-ho] A local food company in Daegu, which was pushed to the brink of closure after being caught up in an 'insider whistleblower fabrication' trap involving the recycling of returned fermented sauces, has temporarily escaped disgrace with a non-prosecution decision by the prosecution and a not guilty verdict from the court.
However, this case, which unjustly implicated high-ranking police officers, starkly revealed the consequences of police conducting pushy investigations in response to malicious complaints such as those from 'black consumers.' It appears to have left a significant challenge within the police force ahead of the implementation of the autonomous police system.
The Daegu District Court Western Branch 1st Criminal Division (Chief Judge Kim Jeong-il) on the 14th acquitted Bae Bong-gil (60), former Deputy Chief of Daegu Police Agency’s 2nd Division (at the rank of Police Commissioner), and another Police Commissioner who was indicted without detention on charges of official secret leakage. Along with this, the court also acquitted the CEO of Samhwa Food, who was charged with instructing violations of the Personal Information Protection Act, and a delivery company president who was falsely labeled as a 'broker.'
Earlier, on the 10th of last month, the Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office decided not to prosecute all seven people, including the CEO of Samhwa Food, who had been transferred by the police with a 'prosecution opinion' related to violations of the Food Sanitation Act and other charges.
Thus, this case, which began with allegations raised by a media outlet, heated up local public opinion over the past year with moral controversies surrounding the company. However, the background of the police’s excessive investigation remains unknown, leaving another 'trauma' in the food industry.
"Returned goods recycled for processing" - union member submits petition -> local police station closes internal investigation -> Daegu Police Agency conducts independent investigation
"Fabrication" whistleblower declaration -> planned and biased investigation controversy -> company officials booked -> court 'not guilty' verdict
The 'returned fermented sauce recycling suspicion' case involving Samhwa Food, a Daegu-based fermented sauce manufacturer boasting 68 years of tradition, went through multiple twists: the local police station that received the petition closed the internal investigation → media outlet’s expos? → Food and Drug Administration’s on-site investigation found no charges → Daegu Police Agency’s sudden raid and seizure.
Subsequently, the union member who submitted the problematic video made a conscience declaration stating that "under the persuasion and pressure of the company’s former general affairs manager, I falsely testified that the 'returned goods disposal work' filmed before moving the factory was reprocessing." The general affairs manager, identified as the mastermind, also submitted a statement requesting the company to withdraw the accusation, claiming the allegations were false testimonies aimed at ousting another executive.
Despite these circumstances, the Daegu Police Agency, after a five-month investigation into the case that the local police (Seongseo Police Station) had closed internally, sent the Samhwa Food officials to the prosecution on June 17 last year with a prosecution opinion for violating the Food Sanitation Act. (This case was closed by the prosecution with a non-prosecution decision nine months later.)
Later, as the company and the local food industry highlighted the investigation as planned and biased, another twist occurred.
Bae Bong-gil, the 2nd Deputy Chief who was in the command line of the Daegu Police Agency’s Criminal Division chief leading the case, was suddenly indicted along with a junior Police Commissioner who had worked at another regional police agency. These two were the first sitting Police Commissioners in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region to face detention but avoided arrest after a warrant review.
When the National Police Agency raided the Daegu Police Agency and Seongseo Police Station on June 11 of the same year, it was seen as an inspection due to excessive investigation, but four months later, on October 20, these two Police Commissioners, along with two other officers, were indicted on charges including official secret leakage and violation of the Personal Information Protection Act, causing a major shock even within the police force.
Bae, accused of leaking investigation secrets at the request of Samhwa Food, was demoted to head of the 1st Division at Chungbuk Police Agency, suspended in October of that year, and retired in December. Another Police Commissioner, Lee, who was serving as head of the 1st Division at Ulsan Police Agency, also suffered due to involvement in this case. Lee had served as the Criminal Division chief at Daegu Police Agency until the end of 2019 before being promoted to Police Commissioner and transferred to Ulsan Regional Police Agency.
These two Police Commissioners were acquitted in the verdict on the 15th, but Kim, an intelligence officer at Seongseo Police Station, was sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year probation for violating the Personal Information Protection Act, and Kim, a police superintendent at Daegu Police Agency, was fined 8 million won for abuse of authority.
Regarding the first trial verdict for the Samhwa Food officials and Police Commissioners, it is not yet confirmed whether the prosecution will appeal.
Separately, Samhwa Food has filed a civil lawsuit against the media outlet that first reported the 'returned goods recycling suspicion' and continues to file complaints and appeals against the investigating officers, including the investigation chief, for official secret leakage and other charges, suggesting that the aftermath of this case, which stirred the local community, will continue for some time.
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