[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The prosecution has requested the court handling the Daejang-dong development project preferential treatment and lobbying case to consolidate the 'Wirye New Town development preferential treatment suspicion' case.
According to the legal community on the 7th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office submitted a 'Review Opinion on the Necessity of Consolidated Trial' to the Criminal Division 22 of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Lee Jun-cheol), which is presiding over the first trial of former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation Planning Director Yoo Dong-gyu and Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management major shareholder Kim Man-bae, among others.
The prosecution recently investigated the Wirye New Town development preferential treatment suspicion and additionally indicted former Director Yoo, lawyer Nam Wook, and accountant Jung Young-hak on charges of violating the Anti-Corruption Act. The prosecution requested the court to try both cases together, citing similar criminal structures and the same defendants.
In response, the court stated, "We will comprehensively review the progress of the cases and make a prompt decision."
However, lawyer Nam's defense counsel expressed concerns, saying, "It is difficult to know the contents of the investigation records of the (Wirye New Town case)," and "If consolidated, there may be circumstances requiring re-examination of witnesses."
The trial for the Daejang-dong development project lobbying and preferential treatment suspicion has been held once or twice a week since January, with most of the evidence investigation procedures completed and witness examinations of the defendants underway.
The Wirye New Town development preferential treatment suspicion case involves former Director Yoo and private business operators sharing internal secrets of the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation regarding the Wirye New Town A2-8 block development project in July 2013, enabling Wirye Asset Management to be selected as a private business operator.
They are accused of selecting Hoban Construction as the contractor using the same method and, after generating a total implementation profit worth approximately 41.8 billion KRW by March 2017, distributing dividends of about 16.9 billion KRW to Hoban Construction and about 4.23 billion KRW to Wirye Asset Management according to the ratios set in the shareholder agreement.
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