The Corruption Investigation Office files case No. 5 against Moon Hong-seong, Head of the Anti-Corruption Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, for 'Kim Hak-ui's illegal departure pressure'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The High-ranking Officials’ Crime Investigation Unit (HCIC) has registered Moon Hong-seong, head of the Anti-Corruption and Violence Division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, as a suspect in Case No. 5 related to the "Kim Hak-ui illegal departure ban investigation cover-up suspicion."

According to the legal community on the 14th, the HCIC recently registered three individuals?Director Moon (then senior researcher of the Anti-Corruption and Violence Division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office), Kim Hyung-geun, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office (former head of the Investigation Command Division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office), and Prosecutor A?and assigned the case number "2021 Gongje 5" (Public Investigation No. 5 of 2021).

They are suspected of exerting external pressure on the investigation into the illegal departure ban of former Vice Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui while working with Lee Sung-yoon, then head of the Anti-Corruption and Violence Division and now Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, in 2019.

The Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office, which investigated the case, transferred them to the HCIC in March under the HCIC Act, but the HCIC re-transferred the case citing lack of investigative capacity.

At that time, the HCIC requested the case be returned to them to decide on prosecution after investigation, but the prosecution opposed this, leading to a so-called "conditional transfer" controversy.

Ultimately, the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Lee Sung-yoon on May 12, but did not indict Director Moon and the other two. In response, the HCIC requested the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office to "re-refer" the three suspects this month to decide on prosecution.

According to the HCIC’s case handling regulations, if a conditional transfer is requested, the related persons in the case are automatically registered as suspects. The HCIC’s assignment of a case number appears to follow this rule. However, it is reported that the HCIC has not yet begun an investigation.

On the 7th, the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office expressed its refusal to accept the re-referral and submitted its opinion to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, which has yet to reach a conclusion.

Meanwhile, the HCIC has registered Prosecutor B of the Haenam Branch of the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights, assigning "Gongje 6" (Public Investigation No. 6).

Between April 28 and the 4th of this month, the HCIC assigned a total of nine case numbers, and except for Superintendent Cho, all registered suspects are prosecutors.