The prosecution investigating allegations of preferential treatment in the Baekhyeon-dong development has requested an arrest warrant for an associate of former Korea Housing Technology CEO Kim In-seop.
The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Eom Hee-jun) filed an arrest warrant on the 23rd against Mr. A, known to be an associate of former CEO Kim, on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes (brokerage bribery) and other offenses.
The prosecution believes that Mr. A agreed with former CEO Kim to receive 7 billion KRW from Asia Developer CEO Jung, in exchange for facilitating permits for the Baekhyeon-dong development project, and that he received 3.5 billion KRW of that amount. He is also charged with perjury for testifying as a witness in a trial concerning Lee Jae-myung, then Governor of Gyeonggi Province, on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act by spreading false information related to impersonating a prosecutor in February 2019. At that time, Mr. A reportedly testified in court that "Lee Jae-myung was falsely accused."
Additionally, from February to April 2019, he is accused of receiving approximately 70 million KRW from a wireless communication equipment manufacturer as a bribe for facilitating deliveries to local governments.
The Baekhyeon-dong preferential treatment allegations stem from a 2015 case where Asia Developer, the project developer, recruited former CEO Kim shortly before Seongnam City in Bundang-gu, Baekhyeon-dong, Gyeonggi Province, changed the land use designation of the former Korea Food Research Institute site from "natural green area" to "quasi-residential area," raising it by four levels, and significantly reduced the private rental housing ratio to 10%, resulting in a profit of 314.2 billion KRW. Former CEO Kim is suspected of receiving 7 billion KRW from the developer as a bribe for facilitating permits during the project.
The pre-arrest detention hearing for Mr. A is scheduled to be held on the 27th at the Seoul Central District Court.
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