Kim Bong-hyun (49), former chairman of Star Mobility, known as the "ringleader of Lime," claimed in 2020 that "the prosecution coerced him to testify about former ruling party politicians," and the prosecution has detected circumstances indicating that his then-lawyer was deeply involved in the process of reversing his previous statements.
According to the legal community on the 10th, the Criminal Division 6 of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Lee Jun-dong) filed an arrest warrant for lawyer Lee (49) of Sarambup Law Firm, who was representing Kim at the time, on the 8th. Lawyer Lee is suspected of advising Kim on the so-called 'prison statement' and subsequent reversal of testimony, and instructing him to give false testimony in court (perjury inducement).
The Seoul Southern District Court summoned Lawyer Lee on the same day for a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing). The decision on detention is expected as early as that night.
Former Star Mobility Chairman Kim Bong-hyun, who was identified as the main culprit in the "Lime Asset Management (Lime) scandal," released a public statement through his lawyer on October 16, 2020. [Photo by Kim Bong-hyun's former lawyer, Yonhap News]
The prosecution has been investigating the circumstances surrounding Lawyer Lee and other associates as Kim, currently incarcerated, recently reversed his statements regarding the authenticity of the prison statement. Lawyer Lee was responsible for delivering Kim’s prison statement to the media and became a subject of investigation. The prosecution conducted a search and seizure of Lawyer Lee’s office last month.
On October 16, 2020, Kim revealed in a prison statement, "I lobbied politicians and entertained an active prosecutor." He claimed, "A former prosecutor A said, 'The talks with the person in charge of the Lime case at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office are over. If you catch ruling party politicians and Chief Secretary Kang Ki-jung of the Blue House, after reporting to Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, you will be granted bail and allowed to stand trial.'"
He also stated, "Although I told the prosecution that I lobbied opposition party (currently People Power Party) politicians as well, only influential ruling party (currently Democratic Party of Korea) politicians were investigated."
On October 8, 2020, Kim testified in court that "I handed over 50 million won to former Blue House Chief Secretary Kang Ki-jung through the CEO of Star Mobility." However, after releasing the statement, he changed his position, saying, "I never gave money to ruling party politicians." On the day of the prison disclosure, he also reversed his testimony in the trial of Lee Sang-ho, former Democratic Party of Korea Busan Saha District Committee chairman, denying that he provided political funds.
Kim was sentenced to 30 years in prison and fined 76,935,400,000 won in the first trial on the 9th of last month for embezzlement and fraud amounting to 125.8 billion won involving Star Mobility, Suwon Passenger Transport, and the Veterans' Mutual Aid Association.
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