[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] A lawyer who took bribes in exchange for postponing the auction procedure of a funeral hall was sentenced to a suspended prison term.
On the 7th, Seong Jae-min, Chief Judge of Criminal Division 9 at Gwangju District Court, sentenced lawyer A (50), who was indicted on charges of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act and fraud, to one year in prison with a two-year suspension.
Lawyer B (50), who was also indicted for violating the Attorney-at-Law Act, was sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year suspension and ordered to pay a fine of 25 million won.
A was prosecuted on charges of deceiving the operator of a funeral hall by promising to postpone the auction procedure of a certain funeral hall through an employee of the auction department at Gwangju District Court in January 2017, receiving 100 million won or accepting 25 million won as a bribe related to the auction postponement.
Between February and July of the same year, A is also accused of conspiring with acquaintance B to postpone the sale date of the funeral hall and receiving 20 million won as a service fee from the operator, as well as committing perjury in a specific trial.
Judge Seong acquitted A of some charges of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act and fraud, stating that it was difficult to prove based solely on the evidence submitted to the court.
Judge Seong stated the sentencing reasons, saying, "The defendant's crime as a lawyer damages the national judicial function and undermines social trust in judicial officials, so the culpability is not light. After being sentenced once to a fine for a different crime, there is no prior criminal record, and the amount of money received and the circumstances of the crime were all taken into consideration."
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