[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A man who introduced himself as a "Certified Public Accountant, Tax Accountant" and defrauded tens of millions of won under the pretext of handling tax filing was sentenced to a suspended prison term.
On the 12th, according to the legal community, Judge Yoo Donggyun of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 13 sentenced Choi Mo (50), who was indicted on charges of fraud, to 4 months in prison with a 1-year suspension.
Earlier, Choi was brought to trial on charges of defrauding 31 million won under the pretext of handling work by presenting a business card that read "Certified Public Accountant, Tax Accountant Choi ○" to Mr. A in Jeju City on June 14, 2018, despite not having any tax-related qualifications, and falsely claiming, "I will handle the work so that you can receive tax benefits such as capital gains tax reduction."
He was investigated to have committed this crime from the beginning with the intention of receiving money and using it for his living expenses.
The court recognized Choi's charges as guilty. It judged that whether he held a certified public accountant or tax accountant license was a major basis for Mr. A to hand over the money.
In particular, the court emphasized, "Choi not only deceived Mr. A to embezzle money but also damaged the social trust of professions that legally require certain qualifications," and "considering his multiple prior criminal records, we choose imprisonment rather than a fine, contrary to the prosecutor's request, including a suspended prison sentence."
It added, "However, Choi generally admitted his wrongdoing and reached a settlement with the victim belatedly. Considering all sentencing factors such as age, character, environment, and circumstances after the crime, the execution of the sentence is suspended for one year."
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