Incumbent Incheon Police Chief Indicted Without Detention on Bribery Charges

Received Gift Certificates for Golf Course Reservation Privileges
Police Officer Who Provided Reservation Convenience and Investigation Information Also Faces Trial

On the 29th, a current police chief and police officer accused of receiving various conveniences from a golf course representative were brought to trial.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] A current police chief was brought to trial for receiving a 1 million won gift certificate and golf course reservation favors from a golf course owner.

The Foreign Crime Division of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Jang Junho) announced on the 29th that they have indicted A (57), the police chief of a police station in Incheon, without detention on charges of bribery.

The prosecution also indicted B (51), a police officer in the intelligence division of the same police station in Incheon, without detention on charges of accepting bribes, misconduct after acceptance, and leaking official secrets, and brought C (70), the owner of a golf course in Seo-gu, Incheon, who gave bribes to A and B, to trial on charges of bribery.

A is accused of receiving a gift certificate worth about 1 million won and golf course reservation favors twice from C between October 2020 and February 13 of last year.

B is accused of receiving reservation favors 25 times at the golf course operated by C from March 2019 to June 7 of last year, playing golf once at a member price, and secretly providing investigation information related to the golf course.

Earlier, D (49), an auditor of the golf course, was involved in a drunk driving accident around 8:51 p.m. on December 19, 2020, fell asleep in the vehicle, and refused a breathalyzer test, leading to a police investigation.

D was arrested on the spot and taken to the police station, where he even tore up the 'arrest confirmation document' by hand. The investigation at that time was handled by the police station where A was working.

The police applied only the charge of invalid official documents, citing the inability to find evidence proving D's drunk driving, and sent the case to the prosecution.

Despite the prosecution's directive for reinvestigation, the police twice decided not to prosecute the case. The prosecution conducted a supplementary investigation, confirmed the collusion between A, B, and golf course officials, and added charges of bribery and bribery offering against A and others, as well as D's refusal to take the breathalyzer test, and brought all to trial without detention.

During the supplementary investigation, the prosecution confirmed circumstances indicating that D instructed a golf course employee to remove the memory card from the accident vehicle's black box to hide evidence.

D and the employee, who have already been brought to trial, were each sentenced to 1 year and 6 months to 2 years in prison with a 3-year probation in February.