The prosecution has rebutted opposition claims that it conducted 376 search and seizure operations over nearly two years targeting Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.
The investigations into the Daejang-dong, North Korea remittance, and Baekhyeon-dong cases began under the previous administration. Since the investigative team was reorganized in June last year, a total of only 36 search and seizure operations have been conducted related to all cases involving Lee, including Daejang-dong, Wirye, North Korea remittance, lawyer fee concealment, Baekhyeon-dong, and Seongnam FC. The prosecution emphasized that searches were carried out within the minimum necessary scope, excluding Lee’s residence and party leader’s office.
The Anti-Corruption Division of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office (Chief Prosecutor Yang Seok-jo) stated on the 30th, "The claim by Lee Jae-myung’s side of '376 prosecution search and seizure operations' is baseless. It appears they are including over 100 receipts from restaurants submitted by the police, who investigated unauthorized use of Gyeonggi Province corporate cards, as over 100 prosecution searches, and are also including personal corruption of Daejang-dong’s Kim Man-bae’s group, Baekhyeon-dong, Wirye development corruption suspects, and former Governor Lee Hwa-young’s personal corruption as searches against Lee Jae-myung."
They added, "The prosecution has never conducted searches of Lee Jae-myung’s residence, party leader’s office, assembly member’s office, or assembly member’s hall. Locations related to Lee are limited to about ten places, including the governor’s office and mayor’s office where he previously worked, and the offices and residences of Jeong Jin-sang and Kim Yong, who are in custody."
They further stated, "After reorganizing the investigative team in June last year, the number of search warrants issued and executed for all case-related individuals, including personal corruption, were confirmed as follows: 10 times for Daejang-dong and Wirye, 11 times for Ssangbangwool and North Korea remittance, 5 times for lawyer fee concealment, 5 times for Baekhyeon-dong, and 5 times for Seongnam FC, totaling 36 times. These were executed within the minimum necessary scope authorized by the court to uncover the substance of large-scale corruption."
The prosecution explained, "The Daejang-dong case was raised during the Democratic Party presidential primary in September 2021; the Ssangbangwool corporate corruption and North Korea remittance cases began after notification from financial authorities in October 2021; and the Baekhyeon-dong case started based on the Board of Audit and Inspection’s investigation request in April last year. These are large-scale corruption cases involving multiple people. In total, 53 people have been indicted and 22 detained across the Daejang-dong and Wirye cases (25 indicted, 9 detained), Seongnam FC case (8 indicted), Ssangbangwool corporate corruption and North Korea remittance cases (18 indicted, 11 detained), and Baekhyeon-dong case (2 indicted, 2 detained)."
Earlier, on the 21st, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ju-min claimed during a parliamentary proceeding speech before the vote on the arrest consent bill for Lee, "Three prosecution offices were involved, and 376 search and seizure operations were conducted."
Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk posted on his Facebook on the 27th, "Over 727 days until the warrant hearing against a presidential rival and opposition leader, three prosecution offices (Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office, Seongnam Branch) and over 70 prosecutors conducted 376 search and seizure operations and six summonses, resulting in the arrest warrant being dismissed."
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