Police Summon Active Prosecutor on Charges of Accepting Bribes from Fake Fisheries Businessman (Comprehensive)

Kim Mo (43, detained), a fraudster impersonating a fisheries worker involved in a 11.6 billion KRW scam, seen in a foreign car posted on his SNS. Photo by Kim's SNS capture [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] The police summoned a current prosecutor suspected of receiving luxury watches and other items from Kim Mo (43), who is accused of impersonating a fisheries businessman and providing money and gifts to figures related to the prosecution, police, media, and politics, for questioning.

According to the police on the 12th, the Violent Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency summoned Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Mo (former Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office), who was booked on charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, for about 10 hours of investigation yesterday morning. The police also conducted a search and seizure of the prosecutor's office and other locations at the end of last month. Recently, in a mid-level personnel reshuffle within the prosecution, this prosecutor was demoted and reassigned as Deputy Chief Prosecutor at a provincial prosecutors' office. The current investigation targets related to the fisheries businessman include seven individuals so far, including this prosecutor, former Pohang Southern Police Station Chief Superintendent Bae Mo, former Chosun Ilbo editorial writer Donghoon Lee, and TV Chosun anchor Seongseop Eom.

Additionally, the police reportedly requested an authoritative interpretation from the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission on whether former special prosecutor Youngsoo Park, who received a Porsche vehicle from Kim, qualifies as a ‘public official’ under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.

The Improper Solicitation and Graft Act prohibits public officials from receiving money or gifts exceeding 1 million won per occasion or 3 million won per year. Unlike bribery, the law does not consider the relevance to official duties. The police are expected to examine the legality of former special prosecutor Park’s actions based on the commission’s judgment and other factors. Former special prosecutor Park explained that he received the vehicle from Kim, whom he was introduced to three years ago by a former journalist, and later paid 2.5 million won in rental fees.

Meanwhile, regarding reports that Kim has been uncooperative with the police investigation, a National Investigation Headquarters official from the National Police Agency stated, "If necessary for the investigation, we will consider various methods within the legal scope." This is interpreted as not ruling out the possibility of applying for an arrest warrant.