Prosecution Appeals Partial Acquittal in First Trial of Heo In-hoe on Solar Power Solicitation and Mediation Allegations

Court Acquits Some Solicitation and Mediation Charges in First Trial
Prosecution: "Judgment Ignores Substance of Bribery Transactions"

The prosecution has appealed the first trial verdict in which Heo In-hoe, former chairman of the Green Dream Cooperative, who is accused of pocketing several hundred million won in exchange for soliciting various projects, was sentenced to a suspended sentence.

The Criminal Division 5 of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Cheon Dae-won) announced on the 15th that it had filed an appeal against Heo's first trial sentence.

The prosecution stated, "The first trial court's judgment that it is difficult to view the receipt and promise of money related to Heo's solicitation for the supply of wireless eavesdropping detection devices to public institutions as a bribe or that there was no mutual consent on the promise of bribe payment ignores the substance of the money transaction and focuses only on form, which is hard to accept," adding, "The sentence for the bribery and fraudulent receipt of subsidies, for which Heo was found guilty, also failed to reflect the gravity of the crimes," explaining the reasons for the appeal.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Previously indicted on charges including violation of the Attorney-at-Law Act, violation of the National Subsidy Management Act, and violation of the Labor Standards Act, Heo was sentenced on the 5th in the first trial to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 2-year suspension, and fined 15 million won.

At that time, the court recognized as guilty the charges of subcontracting solar power facility construction to unqualified companies, soliciting the relocation of a food waste leachate treatment plant, and failing to pay employees' wages on time.

However, Heo was acquitted of charges related to solicitation for the supply of wireless eavesdropping detection devices and solicitation/mediation related to the selection of target sites for the ecosystem conservation cooperation fund refund project. The court judged that Heo's act in 2014 of having a specific company supply wireless eavesdropping detection devices to public institutions through a congressman with whom he had a close relationship, in exchange for receiving 10-20% of the supply payment, "can be seen as a reward for successfully concluding the supply plan through sales activities."

Furthermore, the court acquitted Heo of charges of receiving 107 million won from a wireless eavesdropping detection device supplier from September 2014 to December 2017 as a bribe for lobbying the National Assembly, and receiving approximately 250 million won in several installments from the vice president of a landscaping sales company from February 2016 to December 2018 as a bribe for lobbying and mediation with congressmen and local government heads regarding the selection of target sites for the ecosystem conservation cooperation fund refund project.

Meanwhile, Heo is classified as a '386 activist' who served as the president of the Korea University student council in the 1980s. In 2000, he ran for the general election under the Saecheonyeon Democratic Party, and in 2004 under the Uri Party, also serving as the youth committee chairman of the Uri Party from 2004 to 2005.