Kim Mo, the vice chairman of Ssangbangwool Group and younger brother of former group chairman Kim Seong-tae, who was indicted and detained on charges including destruction of evidence ahead of a prosecution investigation, denied most of the charges at his first trial.
Former Chairman Kim Sung-tae of Ssangbangwool Group, who was caught in Thailand while on the run abroad, is returning to Korea through Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 on January 17. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@
At the trial held on the 2nd under the presiding of Judge Kwak Yong-heon of Suwon District Court Criminal Division 9, Kim's lawyer denied the charges, stating, "There is a disagreement regarding the indictment itself on the destruction of evidence."
Previously, Kim was brought to trial on charges of ordering the destruction of computer hard drives containing related materials after receiving instructions from former chairman Kim to "replace the PCs of work-related personnel" following the revelation on November 13, 2021, that former Gyeonggi Province Peace Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young was provided with corporate cards and vehicles. Kim allegedly consulted with A, the head of Ssangbangwool Group's Ethics Management Office, before issuing the order.
Kim's side argued, "The defendant did not conspire regarding the 'PC replacement' and did not engage in any instigation," and added, "Among the other defendants identified as the main perpetrators who carried out the destruction of evidence, none claim to have decided on the crime because of Kim." They also stated, "Kim has no knowledge related to former Deputy Governor Lee, and after receiving a call from his brother, he went to the headquarters and waited until the situation was resolved," further asserting, "Even if he participated in the destruction of evidence, it falls under the 'special case for relatives.'"
On the other hand, executives including A and secretarial staff who participated in the destruction of evidence admitted to all charges.
Earlier, at the end of January, the prosecution indicted 12 Ssangbangwool Group and affiliate executives and employees, including Kim and A. A is accused of receiving orders from former chairman Kim in October 2021 to destroy evidence related to former Deputy Governor Lee and instructing B, the deputy head of the Ethics Management Office, to shred the relevant hard drives. B is understood to have smashed the hard drives with a hammer on the company rooftop following the instructions.
According to the prosecution, the indicted executives and employees also destroyed and deleted usage records of two multifunction devices in the company office that might have contained scanned copies of confidential investigation documents handed over by Suwon District Prosecutors' Office investigators in May last year.
Secretarial staff were investigated for participating in evidence concealment by taking their laptops and fleeing to the Asia-Pacific Peace Exchange Association office in the same building during two rounds of prosecution raids in June and July last year.
Two individuals, including C, vice president of Ssangbangwool affiliate Kwanglim, are also charged with aiding the escape of the suspect by holding a birthday party for former chairman Kim, who was on the run, at a karaoke in Thailand on July 29 last year. The two Kwanglim executives are also accused of smuggling large amounts of US dollars to China three times in March 2019 for Ssangbangwool's remittances to North Korea and handing the money to Vice Chairman Bang Yong-cheol (detained and indicted) in a Chinese airport restroom.
C's lawyer admitted most of the charges but argued that the amount smuggled differs from the prosecution's claim and that dining with former chairman Kim in Thailand was merely responding to an invitation and unrelated to aiding the escape.
The next trial session is scheduled for 10 a.m. on the 23rd.
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