The prosecution, investigating allegations of 'misuse of corporate cards' related to Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is conducting a search and seizure at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office for the second consecutive day.
The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Public Investigation Division (Chief Prosecutor Kim Dong-hee) deployed about 10 prosecutors and investigators from the morning of the 5th to secure materials related to the allegations at the Gyeonggi Southern and Northern Government Offices.
The photo shows the Gyeonggi Provincial Government building in Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, where the prosecution's search and seizure is underway on the afternoon of the 4th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Earlier, the prosecution sent more than 30 prosecutors and investigators to the Southern and Northern Government Offices in Suwon and Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, at 9:20 a.m. the previous day and conducted a search and seizure operation for 12 hours and 30 minutes. The search and seizure on this day is being conducted for the same purpose as the previous day. It is known that about 10 places, including the General Affairs Division and the Secretary's Office of the provincial government, were included in this search and seizure.
There are also shops such as restaurants and fruit stores identified as places where the corporate card was used for personal purposes. It is reported that Lee, the representative, was named as a suspect on charges of breach of trust in the search warrant issued on this day.
Previously, the prosecution received the case from the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, which reviewed the report by whistleblower Jo Myeong-hyeon, and has been conducting an investigation. Jo reported, "The accused (Lee Jae-myung) abused his position and authority as Governor of Gyeonggi Province and violated related laws by embezzling or instructing embezzlement of corporate cards that should have been used for official duties for personal use, or by knowingly overlooking the embezzlement to benefit his spouse," and requested an investigation into Lee.
He is the person who last year exposed that Kim Hye-kyung, Lee's spouse, and Bae Mo, a former Grade 5 special employee in the General Affairs Division of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, misused the provincial government’s corporate cards for personal expenses such as food. His revelations have led the prosecution and police to investigate Kim and others on charges of breach of trust.
The prosecution has registered Lee as a suspect and has been conducting witness investigations of Gyeonggi provincial officials related to the use of the corporate card at the time. It is reported that after a search warrant request for the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office was recently rejected by the court, the prosecution reapplied for the warrant following additional investigations and obtained approval from the court.
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