'Tax Investigation Bribery' Yoon Woo-jin Arrested... "Risk of Evidence Destruction and Flight" (Comprehensive)

Suspected of Receiving 130 Million Won Under the Pretext of Solicitation... Investigation Expected to Expand to Tax Officials and Others

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] Former Yongsan Tax Office chief Yoon Woo-jin, accused of acting as a broker and receiving bribes to cover up tax investigations, has been arrested.

On the 7th, Judge Lee Se-chang, in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, conducted a warrant hearing for former chief Yoon, who is charged with violating the Attorney-at-Law Act, and subsequently issued an arrest warrant. Judge Lee stated the reason for the arrest, saying, "The criminal charges are substantiated," and added, "There is a risk of evidence destruction and flight."

Former chief Yoon is under prosecution investigation for allegedly receiving 130 million won from real estate developer A and others in the Incheon area between 2017 and 2018 under the pretext of requesting favors from tax authorities. He is also accused of receiving money in exchange for legal service referrals.

Accordingly, the Anti-Corruption and Strong Investigation Division 1 (Chief Jung Yong-hwan) of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office requested an arrest warrant for former chief Yoon on the 3rd. Businessman Choi, who is also accused of pocketing bribes alongside former chief Yoon, was previously arrested on charges of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act.

On the morning of the same day, former chief Yoon attended the warrant hearing but left the courthouse without responding to reporters' questions such as "How did you explain the charges?" and "Do you deny receiving 130 million won?"

The arrest of former chief Yoon is expected to lead to investigations into the tax officials who received the requests. Investigations will also accelerate into whether there was inappropriate involvement by prosecution officials during the 2014 non-prosecution decision regarding Yoon's bribery allegations, as well as suspicions that former chief Yoon received golf and other entertainment from meat importer Kim and others between 2010 and 2011, and that the prosecution at the time covered up the police investigation.

Meanwhile, former chief Yoon is the elder brother of Prosecutor General Yoon Dae-jin (Planning Director of the Legal Research and Training Institute), who is known as a close aide to Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate.