MC Mong, Witness Again Absent at 'Coin Listing Bribery' Trial... Court May Issue Arrest Warrant

Singer MC Mong (real name Shin Dong-hyun), identified as a key witness in the "coin listing bribery" case, has repeatedly failed to appear in court, increasing the likelihood that the court will issue a warrant for his detention. Shin has already been fined a total of 6 million won for missing three previous court hearings.

On the 12th, the 11th Criminal Division of the Seoul Southern District Court (Presiding Judge Jeong Do-seong) held a trial concerning professional golfer Ahn Seong-hyun and others, who are charged with violations of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (fraud) and other offenses.

On this day, the prosecution requested MC Mong as a key witness, but he again failed to appear in court. MC Mong did not attend court on December 26 last year, January 17 this year, and February 14, resulting in a fine of 6 million won.

Judge Jeong stated, "Shin Dong-hyun’s testimony is connected to the credibility of defendant Kang Jong-hyun’s statements, and the credibility of Kang’s testimony is directly related to the determination of guilt or innocence in this case, so Shin’s testimony is absolutely necessary," adding, "There is no disagreement that Shin is a key witness."

Singer MC Mong (real name Shin Dong-hyun). [Source=Yonhap News]

With MC Mong once again absent from court, the possibility of the court issuing a warrant for his detention has increased. The court has previously indicated that if MC Mong fails to appear at this hearing as well, it will issue a warrant to forcibly bring him in.

Meanwhile, it is reported that on the 5th, MC Mong submitted a petition to the court requesting video testimony, citing court trauma and panic disorder caused by a military service corruption case as reasons making it difficult for him to appear in person. Video testimony is generally used in cases where sexual violence victims find it difficult to face the defendant or when child testimony is required.

The defendants in this trial include Ahn, former Bithumb Holdings CEO Lee Sang-jun, Kang?who is suspected of being the actual owner of Bithumb?and Song, a person related to the coin issuer, totaling four individuals. Ahn is charged with violations of the Specific Economic Crimes Act (fraud) and breach of trust, Lee with breach of trust, and Kang and Song with bribery-related charges.

The prosecution views MC Mong as a key witness who can clarify the circumstances under which a total of 5 billion won was transferred between Ahn and Kang. According to the prosecution’s indictment, Kang received a request from Song, related to the coin issuer, to list the coin on the virtual asset exchange Bithumb, and gave Ahn and former CEO Lee 3 billion won in cash and luxury watches. However, Ahn and Lee’s side completely denies the charges. Meanwhile, Kang admits all charges and claims he provided an additional 2 billion won beyond the 3 billion won.

MC Mong is involved in Ahn’s fraud charges related to this "additional 2 billion won." The prosecution has determined that around January 2022, Ahn agreed to acquire a 5% stake in the entertainment agency Big Planet Made (BPM) Entertainment, where MC Mong was an inside director, in exchange for facilitating a 20 billion won investment from Kang. Ahn received 2 billion won in cash as a "deposit" for this, and MC Mong was also promised a 5% stake. However, despite the investment falling through, Ahn did not return the 2 billion won, according to Kang’s side.

In previous hearings, the testimonies of two witnesses presented by both sides were completely contradictory. Therefore, the court deemed MC Mong’s testimony necessary. The next hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. on the 2nd of next month.