The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (HCID) has assigned the case involving the former Deputy Secretary-General of the Democratic Party, Lee Jeong-geun, who filed a complaint against a prosecution official regarding the audio recording that captured the circumstances of 'money envelope' distribution, to Investigation Division 2.
On the 10th, HCID assigned the case to Investigation Division 2 in connection with Lee's complaint against an unidentified prosecutor from the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office for leaking official secrets. The complaint was filed after an audio recording of Lee's conversation related to the distribution of money envelopes was broadcast by JTBC.
Earlier, on the 28th of last month, Lee identified the prosecution as the source of the recording and filed complaints at Seocho Police Station against the JTBC news director and reporters involved in the report, as well as the prosecutors in the investigation team.
The police transferred the case involving the prosecutor's complaint to HCID on the 4th. Meanwhile, the case in which reporters were accused of violating the Personal Information Protection Act is still under police investigation.
JTBC consecutively aired the phone call recordings, reportedly stored on Lee's mobile phone, last month. The recordings included conversations between Lee and former Korea Water Resources Corporation Standing Auditor Kang Rae-gu, independent lawmakers Yoon Kwan-seok and Lee Seong-man, among others.
Based on these recordings, the prosecution is investigating the claim that the Song camp distributed a total of 94 million won in envelopes to 10 to 20 incumbent lawmakers and dozens of regional headquarters chiefs just before the Democratic Party convention held on May 2, 2021.
Lee's side submitted a complaint, alleging that the recordings were leaked from the prosecution to JTBC.
However, on the 18th of last month, the prosecution stated, "We regret that there are false claims suggesting the recordings broadcast by the media were provided by the prosecution, even though they were not."
JTBC has also stated that it did not receive the recordings from the prosecution.
Inside and outside the prosecution, there is growing speculation that after completing forensic analysis of Lee's mobile phone and others, the phone was returned to one of Lee's close aides currently in custody, making it likely that the recordings were passed to JTBC through a third party.
Meanwhile, on the same day, HCID assigned the case involving the complaint by a civic group alleging that Tae Young-ho, a member of the People Power Party, received 'split donations' to Investigation Division 1.
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