On the afternoon of the 8th, former National Assembly member Kwak Sang-do, who was released on bail, is answering questions from reporters at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do.
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] Former lawmaker Kwak Sang-do, who is on trial after being indicted and detained on charges of accepting bribes from Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management (Hwacheon Daeyu), which led the Daejang-dong development project, was granted bail by the court and released on the 8th.
Released on this day, 185 days after being detained on February 4th this year, about two weeks before the expiration of the first trial detention period, former lawmaker Kwak once again completely denied his charges.
The Criminal Division 22 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Jun-cheol) accepted Kwak’s bail request on this day.
The court stated, "We have finished questioning the main witnesses," and "Considering all circumstances such as securing attendance and preventing evidence destruction, which can be expected as conditions of bail, there is sufficient reason to grant bail."
However, as a condition for granting bail, the court required Kwak to pay a deposit of 30 million won, of which 25 million won can be replaced by a bail bond insurance certificate. The court also restricted Kwak’s residence and stipulated that any necessary changes must be approved by the court in advance.
The court further ordered ▲submission of a written pledge to appear at the time and place designated by the court and not to destroy evidence ▲obtaining permission before traveling abroad ▲prohibition of contact with persons recognized as having knowledge necessary for the trial or their representatives.
Around 6:45 p.m. on the same day, former lawmaker Kwak, released from Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do, told reporters asking about his feelings, "It is complicated," and "I believe that there must be proper evidence to criminally punish a person."
He said, "As I have said before, I have never done anything particularly problematic," and "I will submit all necessary items as evidence one by one."
In particular, Kwak claimed, "I never lobbied Hana Bank, and no one has asked me to lobby," and "The prosecution itself withdrew the allegation of lobbying Hana Bank from the indictment."
At the bail hearing held on the 27th of last month, Kwak appealed to the court, saying, "I have done nothing, yet I have been detained for 174 days," and "I feel like vomiting blood."
Kwak was indicted and detained on charges including accepting 5 billion won (2.5 billion won after tax) in late April last year as severance pay and other names through his son Byung-chae, who worked at Hwacheon Daeyu, in return for helping Hwacheon Daeyu, which participated in the 2015 Daejang-dong project, form a consortium with Hana Bank (bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes).
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