[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Son Joon-sung, the human rights protection officer at Daegu High Prosecutors' Office, is reportedly unable to comply with the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HOCI)'s request for a summons investigation regarding the suspicion of 'preparing a judge surveillance document' due to hospitalization.
According to the legal community on the 8th, Son's side responded to HOCI's request asking if he could appear between the 9th and 11th by saying, "I am currently hospitalized and unable to appear for the time being."
Son was hospitalized on the 6th following a deterioration of his chronic illness after being released from detention when his warrant was dismissed on the 3rd. It is known that he received hospital treatment after his health worsened. During HOCI's second summons investigation on the 10th of last month, Son also left without completing the usual review of the investigation records due to his deteriorating health. He returned the next day to finish reviewing the investigation records at HOCI.
Accordingly, HOCI may skip summoning Son for now and instead summon Yoon, the candidate, and Seong Sang-wook, the former head of the Investigation Information Division 2 at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office who prepared the report document at the time, for investigation.
Regarding this case, last month HOCI contacted the judges mentioned in the document by phone to confirm their intentions and then sought Son Joon-sung's side's opinion via mail and other means on whether knowing the existence of the document influenced the trial.
Son was booked along with candidate Yoon on suspicion of involvement in preparing and distributing a document analyzing major trial courts under the direction of Yoon Seok-yeol, then Prosecutor General and now the People Power Party's presidential candidate, while serving as the head of the Investigation Information Policy Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office early last year.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
