Full Investigation of 38 Gyeho Correctional Officers
Democratic Party to Visit Suwon District Prosecutors' Office and Suwon Detention Center in Protest Tomorrow
Regarding the claim by former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young that he manipulated testimony while having a drinking party with former Ssangbangwool Group Chairman Kim Sung-tae and others during a prosecution investigation, the prosecution stated on the 17th, "After reviewing the relevant persons and related records, there was no coercion or testimony manipulation at all," and called it a "clear falsehood."
The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office disclosed the results of the fact-finding investigation on the allegations in detail through a three-page A4 statement on the same day.
The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office said, "After confirming with the lawyers who attended Lee Hwa-young's prosecution investigation, all 38 correctional officers on duty, Ssangbangwool-related persons including Kim Sung-tae and Bang Yong-chul who underwent confrontation investigation, as well as food orders and departure records, it was found that ▲no alcohol was brought into the prosecution building, making drinking physically impossible, ▲Ssangbangwool-related persons did not bring in any food, let alone alcohol, ▲the office (Room 1315) mentioned as the drinking place was never used as a dining area, and ▲on the newly claimed drinking date of June 30, 2023, the meal was taken not in the prosecutor's office but in a separate building, the detention center," adding, "The claim by defendant Lee Hwa-young and political circles that 'Lee Hwa-young manipulated testimony while drinking alcohol with Ssangbangwool-related persons who brought food at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office' is a clear falsehood."
The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office also stated, "According to confirmation with the lawyers who attended the investigation (including those affiliated with the Democratic Party's Legal Committee), they clearly testified that there was no drinking or testimony manipulation."
They added, "A full survey was conducted on all 38 correctional officers on duty during the period claimed by defendant Lee Hwa-young (May to July 2023), and they testified that 'drinking was impossible under close supervision, they never witnessed such an event, and there was no provision of meals brought in by outsiders at all.'"
The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office further stated, "After confirming with Ssangbangwool-related persons such as Kim Sung-tae and Bang Yong-chul, prosecutors, investigators, and correctional officers, it was found that ▲Room 1315 is merely a waiting area under correctional officer supervision, not a dining place, and no meals were ever taken there, ▲Ssangbangwool Group employees never brought in food, ▲there was absolutely no drinking under correctional officer supervision, and ▲contrary to defendant Lee Hwa-young's claim, food was ordered at the prosecutor's office at his request, and meals were taken in the prosecutor's office with correctional officers present, not in Room 1315."
Initially, former Deputy Governor Lee claimed to have had a drinking party in Room 1315, a room next to the prosecutor's office labeled as a "storage room," but on this day, through his lawyer, he changed his statement to say the drinking party took place in the testimony recording room inside the prosecutor's office (Room 1313) between June 30 and early July last year. The prosecution pointed out that this changed claim is also false.
The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office emphasized, "On the newly claimed date of June 30 last year, which Lee Hwa-young's side asserted differently from previous claims, the meal was taken in the detention center, not the prosecutor's office, and there is no record of Ssangbangwool employees entering the building. Furthermore, it was confirmed through departure logs that there was no meal shared by Lee Hwa-young, Kim Sung-tae, and Bang Yong-chul together in early July last year. Even without mentioning Lee Hwa-young's continuous changes in statements, it is clear that these are false claims."
The prosecution stressed that the timing of the drinking party claimed by former Deputy Governor Lee is inconsistent.
The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office pointed out, "In particular, defendant Lee Hwa-young had completed all testimony regarding former Governor Lee Jae-myung's involvement in Northbound remittances over five sessions from June 9 to June 30 last year, after submitting a written statement on May 19 last year with the participation of a lawyer from the Democratic Party's Legal Committee. Therefore, the claim that testimony was manipulated while drinking between June 30 and early July, as asserted today, is chronologically inconsistent."
Additionally, the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office added, "It was clearly confirmed through food order records from the prosecutor's office and inquiries with restaurant staff that no alcoholic beverages were included in the meals ordered at the prosecutor's office."
The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office emphasized that former Deputy Governor Lee first raised the 'drinking party coercion' claim on the day of the conclusion of the defense on the 4th, and that such content was completely absent from his previously disclosed 'prison letters' or 'prison notes,' indicating that this claim is a hastily fabricated falsehood.
They also stated that it is impossible for Kim Sung-tae and others to coerce former Deputy Governor Lee, who has had 36 years of political activity including serving as a member of the National Assembly, deputy governor, and KINTEX CEO, and that during his incarceration, he met with family, acquaintances, and lawyers 483 times in total, and most of his summons investigations were attended by lawyers, making it impossible to coerce him through drinking.
The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office reiterated, "Under the revised Criminal Procedure Act from the previous government, suspect interrogation records prepared by prosecutors cannot be used as evidence in court unless the defendant agrees to their use as evidence. In fact, these records were not admitted as evidence in defendant Lee Hwa-young's trial. Therefore, there is no reason or benefit to coerce defendant Lee Hwa-young to prepare such records, making the claims of manipulation and coercion baseless falsehoods."
They continued, "Nevertheless, continuing to assert defendant Lee Hwa-young's baseless and unilateral false claims as if they were true goes beyond improper pressure on the prosecution and attempts to exert undue influence on the ongoing court trial. We express deep regret and will actively consider legal countermeasures if such actions continue."
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is strongly pressuring the prosecution based on the revelations by former Deputy Governor Lee.
The Democratic Party plans to form a fact-finding investigation team, hold a condemnation press conference in front of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office on the 18th, and then visit Suwon Detention Center in protest. They also plan to visit the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to urge an inspection of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
