Two Citizens Reported for Embezzlement and Forgery Charges
Former Candidate Koo Calls Accusations Absurd and Malicious... Plans Legal Action
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] The election battle for the Geochang County Governor, contested between the former and current governors, is intensifying and has escalated to legal disputes.
Regarding allegations of private misuse of the corporate card during candidate Gu In-mo's tenure as county governor, Gu's camp has taken legal action, and accusations related to violations of the Public Official Election Act against a local internet media outlet have also developed into court battles.
According to the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency on the 13th, two citizens from the Geochang area filed a complaint against candidate Gu In-mo on charges including embezzlement in the course of duty and falsification of official documents.
The official business expense disclosed on the Geochang County Office website for Governor Gu In-mo averages around 60 million KRW annually. In 2019, for example, the expenses were approximately 8.69 million KRW in January, 3.85 million KRW in August, and 3.92 million KRW in November.
The complainants reportedly took issue with the excessive amounts used and the number of attendees from July 2018, shortly after Gu took office, until the end of January this year. During this period, the total estimated amount exceeding 30,000 KRW per person, as stipulated by the Kim Young-ran Act (the Anti-Graft Law), was 26.3 million KRW over 116 occasions.
On July 26, 2018, Governor Gu reportedly charged approximately 3.42 million KRW on the corporate card over 12 transactions in a single day.
The complainants argued, "The corporate card intended for official duties was misused for private purposes," and claimed, "Since candidate Gu embezzled public funds with the intention of illegal gain, the crime of embezzlement in the course of duty is established."
They also raised allegations of falsification and use of false official documents, stating, "He instructed county office employees to prepare documents falsely stating that the expenses were used for official business."
Additionally, based on the amounts spent and attendees, suspicions of violating the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act by breaching COVID-19 social distancing rules during the relevant period were raised. The corporate card transaction records suggest that the social distancing guidelines, which limited private gatherings to a maximum of four people at the time due to strengthened measures, were violated.
In response, a representative from candidate Gu In-mo’s election office stated, "The allegations are groundless and baseless," and added, "We plan to respond legally."
Earlier, on the 10th, Gu In-mo filed a complaint with the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office Geochang Branch against a local weekly internet newspaper, A Newspaper, for violating the Public Official Election Act.
On May 6, A Newspaper published a front-page article titled "Gu In-mo (People Power Party) Geochang County Governor Candidate Reported to Gyeongnam Police for Violating Public Official Election Act."
Gu’s camp claimed, "A Newspaper distorted and biasedly reported false information with the intent to defeat a specific candidate, and indiscriminately distributed it in large quantities to local shops, residences, vehicles, and institutions, thereby violating the Public Official Election Act."
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