[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Jo] Court testimony revealed that former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation Planning Director Yoodonggyu reprimanded staff who suggested including a clause for recovering excess profits in the Daejang-dong development project bidding guidelines.
On the 22nd, at the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 22 (Presiding Judge Yang Cheolhan), Park, a member of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation’s Development Project Division 1 during the Daejang-dong project, appeared as a witness in the trial against former Director Yoo and others. When asked by the prosecution whether he had ever heard his superior, Deputy Director Joo, mention issues regarding the bidding guideline announcement, he answered, "Yes." When further asked about the specific issues raised, he replied, "It was about the need for a method to distribute remaining profits if the project succeeded, but such a method was completely absent."
Park testified that "Deputy Director Joo raised these concerns about the bidding guidelines to defendant Jeong Min-yong but was reprimanded the next day by defendant Yoodonggyu." When asked about the situation at that time, he said, "After being reprimanded, Joo used an expression like 'I got shot.'" When questioned about the reason for Yoo’s reprimand of Joo, he answered, "I think it was because the opinion opposed a decision that had already been made."
Former Director Yoo is accused of causing losses to Seongnam Urban Development Corporation by designing the project in a way favorable to Hwacheon Daeyu after agreeing to receive part of the development profits from Kim Man-bae. The prosecution suspects that Yoo intended to benefit Hwacheon Daeyu by failing to establish a plan to recover excess profits from private developers during the Daejang-dong project process.
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