Former Lawmaker Im Jong-seong Arrested on 115 Million Won Bribery Charges... "Risk of Evidence Tampering"

Im Jong-seong, a former member of the Democratic Party of Korea, was arrested on charges of receiving bribes worth approximately 115 million won from construction companies located in his electoral district.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 29th, Park Hee-geun, the chief judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Eastern District Court, conducted a pre-arrest detention hearing for Im and issued an arrest warrant, citing concerns over potential evidence tampering.

Im is accused of receiving bribes worth about 115 million won from two construction companies in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, between November 2019 and May 2021. The charges include bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, violations of the Political Funds Act, and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. It is reported that Im had these companies cover the costs of his local election office interior and plastic surgery, and he used corporate credit cards provided by them. The bribery charges also extend to the hiring of Im’s son by one of the companies.

The prosecution detected signs in 2021 that Im had received money from a construction company in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, and conducted raids on his local and National Assembly offices on the 8th and 10th of last month. When Im appeared in court the day before, he denied the bribery allegations, responding "No" to reporters’ questions about admitting to receiving money. He also denied any involvement in his son’s hiring.

On the 8th, Im lost his parliamentary seat after the Supreme Court confirmed a suspended prison sentence for violating the Public Official Election Act. He was indicted for providing money or meals to election workers and local officials between March and April 2022.

Im is also under investigation by prosecutors regarding allegations of receiving cash envelopes during the Democratic Party’s national convention. On the 10th of last month, the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, led by Chief Prosecutor Choi Jae-hoon, summoned Im for questioning on charges of violating the Political Parties Act.